Front Opening Ring Pod

ABSTRACT

A pod for exchanging consumable parts with a process module includes a base plate having a front side, a back side, and first and second lateral sides. A first support column is disposed on the first lateral side proximal to the front side. A second support column is disposed on the second lateral side proximal to the front side. A third support column is disposed on the first lateral side proximal to back side and a fourth support column is disposed on the second lateral side proximal to the back side. Each of the support columns includes a plurality of support fingers distributed lengthwise and directed inward. A first hard stop column is disposed parallel to the third support column and a second hard stop column is disposed parallel to the fourth support column. A shell structure connected to the base plate is configured to enclose the first, second third and fourth support columns, top plate and first and second hard stop columns and includes a front opening disposed on the front side of the base plate. A door is mated to the front opening and includes retention assembly for securing consumable parts in the pod, when received in the pod.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of and claims benefit of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/138,097, filed on Apr. 25, 2016, and entitled,“Front Opening Ring Pod,” which is a continuation in part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/048,960 (Attorney Docket No. LAM2P900.C), filedon Feb. 19, 2016, and entitled, “Automated Replacement of ConsumableParts Using Interfacing Chambers”, which is a continuation in part ofapplication Ser. No. 14/920,090, filed on Oct. 22, 2015, and entitled,“Systems for Removing and Replacing Consumable Parts from aSemiconductor Process Module in Situ,” all of which are incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to application Ser. No. 15/048,940 (AttorneyDocket No. LAM2P900.B), filed on Feb. 19, 2016, and titled, “AutomatedReplacement of Consumable Parts Using End Effectors Interfacing withPlasma Processing System”,which is incorporated herein by reference inits entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention

The present embodiments relate to a cluster tool assembly used inmanufacturing semiconductor wafer, and more particularly, to replacementstations that enables delivery and removal of consumable parts from thecluster tool assembly.

2. Description of the Related Art

A typical cluster tool assembly used in the manufacturing process togenerate a semiconductor wafer includes one or more process modules witheach process module used to perform a specific manufacturing operation,such as a cleaning operation, a deposition, an etching operation, arinsing operation, a drying operation, etc. The chemistries and/orprocessing conditions used to perform these operations cause damage tosome of the hardware components of the process module that areconstantly exposed to the harsh conditions within the process module.These damaged or worn out hardware components need to be replacedperiodically and promptly to ensure that the damaged hardware componentsdo not expose other hardware components in the process module to theharsh conditions, and to ensure quality of the semiconductor wafer. Forexample, an edge ring that is disposed adjacent to a semiconductor waferwithin a process module may get damaged due to its location andcontinuous exposure to ion bombardment from plasma generated within theprocess module that is used in an etching operation. The damaged edgering needs to be replaced promptly to ensure that the damaged edge ringdoes not expose the underlying hardware components, such as a chuck, tothe harsh process conditions. The hardware components that can bereplaced are referred to herein as consumable parts.

The current process of replacing the damaged consumable part requires atrained service technician to perform a series of steps. The technicianneeds to bring the cluster tool assembly offline, pump/purge the clustertool assembly to avoid exposure to toxic residuals, open the clustertool, remove the damaged consumable part and replace the damagedconsumable part with a new consumable part. Once the damaged part isreplaced, the technician must then clean the cluster tool, pump thecluster tool assembly to vacuum and condition the cluster tool assemblyfor wafer processing. In some instances, the conditioning may involvequalifying the cluster tool assembly by running test process on thesemiconductor wafer, taking cross-sections of the semiconductor waferand analyzing the cross-sections to ensure the quality of the processoperation. Replacing a damaged consumable part is a very involved andtime-consuming process requiring the cluster tool assembly to beoff-line for a considerable amount of time, thereby impacting the profitmargin for a semiconductor manufacturer.

It is in this context that embodiments of the invention arise.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention define a replacement station that can becoupled to a cluster tool assembly and is designed to remove and replacedamaged hardware components, such as an edge ring, of a process moduledisposed within the cluster tool assembly without a need to break vacuum(i.e., expose the cluster tool assembly to atmospheric condition). Adamaged hardware component that can be replaced is also referred toherein as a consumable part. The cluster tool assembly includes one ormore process modules, with each process module configured to perform asemiconductor wafer processing operation. As the consumable part in aprocess module gets exposed to the chemicals and process conditionswithin, the consumable part gets damaged and needs to be replaced in atimely manner. The damaged consumable part may be replaced withoutopening the cluster tool assembly by mounting a replacement station tothe cluster tool assembly. The replacement station includes a partbuffer with compartments that are used to store new and used consumableparts. The replacement station and the process module(s) are coupled toa controller to enable the controller to coordinate access between thereplacement station and the process module(s) while the processmodule(s) is maintained in a vacuum state, so as to allow replacement ofthe consumable part.

To provide easy access to the damaged consumable part, the processmodule may be designed to include a lift mechanism. When engaged, thelift mechanism is configured to allow the consumable part to be moved toa raised position so that a robot available within the cluster toolassembly may be used to access and retrieve the raised consumable partfrom the process module. A replacement consumable part is provided tothe process module and the lift mechanism is used to receive theconsumable part and lower it into position in the process module.

By providing the replacement station to access the consumable part, aneed to open the cluster tool assembly to atmospheric conditions inorder to access the damaged consumable part, is eliminated. Thereplacement station is maintained at vacuum, in some implementations,thereby eliminating the risk of contamination during replacement of theconsumable part. As a result, the time required to recondition theprocess module to bring it to an active operation state afterreplacement of the damaged consumable part, is substantially reduced.Further, the robot and the lift mechanism allow replacement of theconsumable part without the risk of inadvertently damaging any hardwarecomponents of the process modules during retrieval and replacement ofthe consumable part.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a cluster tool assembly that canbe used to remove and replace the consumable part from a process modulewithout requiring the cluster tool assembly to be opened to atmosphericconditions. As the cluster tool assembly is not opened, the cluster toolassembly does not require to be purged or pumped. As a result, the timerequired to condition and qualify the cluster tool assembly isconsiderably reduced.

The replacement station may be disposed in three different positions. Inone position, a roll-up replacement station is temporarily mounteddirectly to a process module within a cluster tool assembly, withability to pump to vacuum and retract the consumable part directly fromthe process module. A new consumable part is retrieved from thereplacement station and directly placed into the process module. In thisposition, the replacement station would include a robot and part bufferfor holding used and new consumable parts. An isolation valve wouldremain on the process module. This configuration is desired since onlythe process module, not the entire cluster tool assembly, would have tobe offline for this maintenance activity.

In a second position, the replacement station is permanently mounted toa vacuum transfer module (VTM) and a robot within the VTM is utilized toremove and replace the consumable part from the process module. In thisposition, the replacement station does not require a dedicated robot,but an end effector of the VTM robot would handle moving bothsemiconductor wafers and the consumable parts.

In a third position, the replacement station is temporarily orpermanently mounted to an atmospheric transfer module (ATM) and a robotof the ATM, a robot of a vacuum transfer module (VTM) are used to removeand replace the consumable part from the process module. In thisposition, the replacement station would not require a dedicated roboticarm, but the VTM and ATM robot end effectors, as well as a loadlockchamber disposed between the ATM and the VTM would handle both thesemiconductor wafers and the consumable parts.

The process module includes a consumable part lift mechanism. Theconsumable part is usually a ring, such as an edge ring. The consumablepart would have to be lifted so that a robot could easily access andextract it. In one embodiment, the lift mechanism includes avacuum-sealed actuator outfitted with a lift pin. In another embodiment,the actuator is maintained at vacuum. Under normal operation, the liftstays retracted and not in contact with the consumable part. When theconsumable part needs to be replaced, the actuator extends the lift pinand raises the consumable part. The robot extends the end effector intothe process module so that the end effector (for example, aspatula-shaped or finger-shaped part attached to the robot) slidesunderneath the consumable part. The actuator then retracts the lift pin,placing the consumable part on the end effector. The consumable part ispulled back into the replacement station. A reverse order is used toplace a new consumable part in the process module.

In one embodiment, a front opening ring pod (FORP), is disclosed. TheFORP includes a base plate with a first lateral side, a second lateralside, a front side and a back side. A support structure is disposed overthe base plate. The support structure includes a plurality of supportcolumns are disposed over the first and second lateral sides of the baseplate. Each support column includes a plurality of support fingersdistributed lengthwise, such that the plurality of support fingersextends toward an inner region of the FORP. A top plate is orientedopposite to the base plate and the plurality of support columns isattached to the top plate. A shell enclosure having sidewalls and a topsurface is disposed over the base plate such that the top surface of theshell enclosure is disposed over the top plate and the sidewallssurround the support structure. A front of the shell enclosure and thefront side of the base plate defines a part of a door frame to receive adoor. The door has a plurality of slots distributed lengthwise along aninside sidewall of the door, such that each of the plurality of slots issubstantially aligned with corresponding ones of the plurality ofsupport fingers of the support structure. The plurality of supportfingers is configured to provide support to one or more consumable partswhen present inside the FORP and the plurality of slots on the door isconfigured to secure in position the one or more consumable partspresent inside the FORP, when the door is engaged.

In another embodiment, a front opening ring (FORP) is disclosed. TheFORP includes a base plate having a front side, a back side and a pairof lateral sides extending between the front side and the back side. Alip is defined along an outer perimeter of the base plate. A supportstructure is received over the base plate. The support structureincludes a plurality of support columns disposed over the pair oflateral sides of the base plate. Each of the support columns includes aplurality of support fingers distributed lengthwise, such that theplurality of support fingers extends toward an inner region of the FORP.A top plate is oriented opposite to the base plate. The plurality ofsupport columns of the support structure is attached to the top plate. Ashell enclosure has sidewalls and a top surface. The top surface of theshell enclosure is disposed to cover the top plate and the sidewalls ofthe shell enclosure surround the support structure. A front of the shellenclosure and the front side of the base plate define a part of a doorframe to receive a door. The shell enclosure is coupled to the lip ofthe base plate. The door has a plurality of slots distributed in avertical orientation along an inside sidewall of the door. Each of theplurality of slots on the door is substantially aligned withcorresponding ones of the plurality of support fingers of the supportstructure. A pair of stop columns is disposed over a back side of thebase plate and is oriented along a back sidewall of the shell enclosure.The plurality of support fingers of the support structure are configuredto support one or more consumable parts when present inside the FORP andthe plurality of slots on the inside sidewall of the door is configuredto secure the one or more consumable parts present inside the FORP whenthe door is engaged.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the followingdetailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may best be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a cluster tool assemblythat includes a replacement station mounted to a process module that isused in processing a semiconductor wafer, in one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a cluster tool assemblythat includes a replacement station mounted to a vacuum transfer moduleof the cluster tool, in an alternate embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a cluster tool assemblythat includes a replacement station mounted to an atmospheric transfermodule of the cluster tool, in an alternate embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3A illustrates a simplified block diagram of a cluster toolassembly that includes robots with end effectors that are used to movethe consumable part within the cluster tool, in one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a portion of a processmodule of a cluster tool assembly that includes an example liftmechanism used to provide access to a consumable part, in one embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 5A illustrates a simplified block diagram of a process module witha replacement station mounted for moving a consumable part, wherein alift mechanism is in a disengaged mode, in one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 5B illustrates a simplified block diagram of a process module witha replacement station mounted, wherein a lift mechanism is in an engagedmode, in one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5C illustrates a simplified block diagram of a process module witha replacement station mounted to a vacuum transfer module and a liftmechanism in the process module used in replacing the consumable partwithin the process module, in one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6A illustrates an end-effector mechanism used within an ATM that isconfigured to receive a substrate, and FIGS. 6B, 6B-1 and 6C illustrateoverhead and side view of an end effector mechanism disposed in anatmospheric transfer module and/or a vacuum transfer module, in someembodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate varying bottom surface profile of a consumablepart that is received using end effector mechanism, in accordance withsome embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 7E illustrates an example end effector mechanism on a robot of aVTM, in accordance with some embodiments of the inventions.

FIGS. 7F-1, 7F-2 illustrates an alternate contact pad concept used inthe end effector mechanism on a robot of a VTM and/or an ATM forsupporting consumable parts with different bottom profiles, inaccordance with some embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 8A-8B illustrate example end effector mechanisms used to deliversubstrate and consumable part into a loadlock chamber, in accordancewith some embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate example side and top view of an end effectormechanism with ring carrier that is used to deliver consumable part to aloadlock chamber, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 10A-10D illustrate example finger assembly used within a loadlockchamber that is configured to receive consumable part, in accordance tosome embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 10E-10F illustrate a view of an existing airlock chamber and are-designed airlock chamber that includes finger assemblies to receiveconsumable part, in accordance to some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example replacement station used for storingconsumable part and a ring carrier, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example view of a slot within a process modulethrough which a consumable part or a wafer is moved into and out of theprocess module, in one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 illustrates a control module (i.e., a controller) forcontrolling various aspects of a cluster tool, in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 14 illustrates a view of a load port module with a pod fortransferring consumable parts received at the load port, in accordancewith one embodiment.

FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate different views of an example replacementstation, in accordance to different embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 16 illustrates a view of different parts of an example replacementstation used for storing consumable parts and ring carrier(s), inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 17A illustrates a view of support columns and hard stop columns ofan example replacement station, in one embodiment of the invention. FIG.17B illustrates an expanded view of a portion of a support columnillustrated in FIG. 17A, identifying different parts of the supportfingers, in some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 17C illustrates an alternate design of a support column provided inthe replacement station, in an alternate embodiment of the invention.FIG. 17D illustrates an expanded view of a portion of the support columnillustrated in FIG. 17C, in one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 17E, 17F and 17G illustrate detailed view of a retention assemblyprovided on a door of a replacement station, in some embodiments of theinvention.

FIGS. 17H, 17I and 17J provide different cross-sectional view of asupport finger with support pad defined thereon, in some embodiments ofthe invention.

FIG. 18 illustrates an overhead view of a replacement station used forreceiving a consumable part, in some embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 19A and 19B illustrate details of an example carrier support forreceiving and storing a ring carrier within a replacement station, inaccordance with some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 20 illustrates a bottom view of the replacement station identifyingvarious parts that are used to interface with a load port of a load portmodule, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 21A and 21B illustrate back side views of the replacement stationidentifying a mounting plate for providing a replacement stationidentifier, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the disclosure define a cluster tool assembly that isused to process a semiconductor wafer. The cluster tool assemblyincludes a process module that is used to process a semiconductor wafer.A replacement station is mounted to the cluster tool assembly. Thereplacement station is maintained at vacuum so as to provide thenecessary process condition for replacement of the consumable partwithout risk of contaminating the process module or the cluster toolassembly. A dedicated robot within the replacement station or the robotavailable within the cluster tool assembly is used to retrieve a usedconsumable part from the process module and replace with a newconsumable part.

In some embodiments, the replacement station may be mounted directly toa process module of a cluster tool assembly in which a consumable partneeds to be replaced. In such embodiments, the replacement station iscoupled directly to the process module. A robot defined in thereplacement station is used to retrieve and replace the consumable part.

In some other embodiments, the replacement station may be mounteddirectly to a vacuum transfer module (VTM) within a cluster toolassembly. The replacement station is mounted so as to maintainuniformity and symmetry of the cluster tool assembly. A robot of the VTMthat is used to move a semiconductor wafer into and out of processmodules is also used to retrieve and replace a consumable part disposedin a process module.

In some other embodiments, the replacement station may be mounteddirectly to an atmospheric transfer module of a cluster tool assembly.In such embodiments, a robot of the atmospheric transfer module workswith a robot of a vacuum transfer module of the cluster tool assembly toaccess and replace the consumable part from a process module. Thereplacement station is designed to mount to different modules of thecluster tool assembly and enable replacing of the consumable partwithout requiring the cluster tool assembly to be opened to atmosphericconditions to access the consumable part.

Traditional design of a cluster tool assembly required the cluster toolassembly to be opened in order to access and replace the consumable partwithin a process module. Opening of the cluster tool assembly requiredtaking the cluster tool assembly offline and purging the cluster toolassembly to atmospheric condition to allow access to the processmodules. Once the cluster tool assembly is opened, a trained technicianwould manually remove and replace the consumable part from a processmodule. Upon replacement of the consumable part, the cluster toolassembly had to be conditioned so that the semiconductor wafer can beprocessed. Since the semiconductor wafers are valuable products, extremecare has to be taken when conditioning the cluster tool assembly. Theconditioning would require cleaning the cluster tool assembly, pumpingthe cluster tool assembly to vacuum, conditioning the cluster toolassembly and qualifying the cluster tool assembly using test runs. Eachof these steps requires considerable time and effort. In addition to thetime required at every step to condition the cluster tool assembly,additional delays may be experienced when problems are encountered atone or more of the steps during the conditioning of the cluster toolassembly. Some of the problems commonly encountered during theconditioning of the cluster tool assembly may include misalignment ofthe consumable part during replacement, damage to the new consumablepart when replacing a damaged or used consumable part, damage to otherhardware components in the process module during retrieval orreplacement of the consumable part, cluster tool assembly not achievingvacuum after pumping, cluster tool assembly not achieving processperformance, etc. Based on the severity of each problem, additional timeand effort may have to be expended, further contributing to delay ofbringing the cluster tool assembly online, directly impacting the profitmargin for a manufacturer.

Mounting a replacement station to the cluster tool assembly andaccessing the consumable part through the replacement station savesconsiderable amount of time and effort required for maintaining thecluster tool assembly. The risk of damage to the consumable part,process module and/or the cluster tool assembly is minimized by using arobot available within the cluster tool assembly for replacing theconsumable part, and the risk of contamination is minimized bymaintaining the replacement station at vacuum, thereby avoiding exposureof the inside of the cluster tool assembly to outside atmosphere. Usingthe robot, one can achieve a more precise alignment of the consumablepart in the process module while minimizing damage to other hardwarecomponents of the process module. Consequently, time required tocondition the cluster tool assembly is greatly reduced. Timelyreplacement of the consumable parts increases quality and yield ofsemiconductor components defined in the semiconductor wafer.

FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified schematic diagram of a cluster toolassembly 100 that is used to process a semiconductor wafer, in oneembodiment. The cluster tool assembly 100 includes a plurality ofmodules to allow the semiconductor wafer to be processed in a controlledenvironment with minimal exposure of the semiconductor wafer toenvironment. The cluster tool assembly 100, in one embodiment, includesan atmospheric transfer module (ATM) 102, a common vacuum transfermodule (VTM) 104 and one or more process modules 112-120. The ATM 102 isoperated under ambient (i.e., atmospheric) condition and interfaces witha wafer loader (not shown) to bring a semiconductor wafer into theintegrated cluster tool assembly 100 for processing, and for returningthe semiconductor wafer, after processing. The ATM 102 may include arobot to move the semiconductor wafer from the wafer loader to the VTM104. The robot may be part of a dry robot as the ATM 102 is atatmospheric condition.

The VTM 104 is operated under vacuum so as to minimize exposure of thesemiconductor wafer surface to atmospheric air as the semiconductorwafer is moved from one process module into another. Since, the VTM 104is operating under vacuum and the ATM 102 is operating at atmosphericcondition, a loadlock chamber 110 is placed between the ATM 102 and theVTM 104. The loadlock chamber 110 provides a controlled interface toallow the transfer of the semiconductor wafer from the ATM 102 in to theVTM 104. In this embodiment, the robot within the ATM 102 may be used todeposit the semiconductor wafer into the loadlock chamber 110. Aseparate robot may be provided within the VTM 104 to retrieve thesemiconductor wafer from the loadlock chamber 110 and transfer thesemiconductor wafer into and out of process module (112-120). Due to itslocation, the loadlock chamber, in some embodiments, is also referred toas an “interfacing chamber”.

The one or more process modules 112-120 are integrated with the VTM 104so as to allow the semiconductor wafer to move from one process moduleto another process module in a controlled environment maintained by theVTM 104. In some embodiments, the process modules 112-120 may bedistributed uniformly around the VTM 104 and are used to performdistinct process operations. Some of the process operations that can becarried out using the process modules 112-120 include etch operation,rinsing, cleaning, drying operation, plasma operation, depositionoperation, plating operation, etc. By way of example, process module 112may be used to perform a deposition operation, process module 114 may beused to perform a cleaning operation, process module 116 may be used toperform a second deposition operation, process module 118 may be used toperform an etch or removal operation, and so on. The VTM 104 with thecontrolled environment allows the semiconductor wafer to be transferredinto and out of the process modules 112-120 without risk ofcontamination and the robot within the VTM 104 assists in transferringthe semiconductor wafer into and out of the various process modules112-120 that are integrated with the VTM 104.

In one embodiment, a replacement station 108 is mounted to a processmodule (e.g., any one of the process modules 112-120) within the clustertool assembly 100. In the example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, thereplacement station 108 is mounted to process module 118. Thereplacement station may be configured to mount to any of the otherprocess modules 112-120, as and when consumable part(s) needs to bereplaced in any one of the process modules 112-120. The process module118, for example, may be used to perform an etch operation. Thereplacement station 108 is used to retrieve and replace a consumablepart that is used in the process module 118. The replacement station 108includes a mechanism, such as a pump mechanism, (not shown) to pump andmaintain the replacement station 108 at vacuum, when mounted to theprocess module.

In one embodiment, the replacement station 108 may be coupled to theprocess module (i.e., any one of process modules 112-120) through anisolation valve, when a consumable part needs to be replaced at theprocess module (112-120) and de-coupled from the process module(112-120) when the consumable part has been successfully replaced. Inthis embodiment, the replacement station 108 is a moveable modular unitthat is designed to be temporarily mounted to a process module tocomplete the required operation (e.g., replacement of consumable part),dismounted once the required operation at the process module iscompleted, and either retracted or moved to a different process modulewhere the required operation of replacing the consumable part isperformed. For example, the isolation valve allows the replacementstation 108 to be maintained at vacuum.

The replacement station 108 includes a part buffer to receive and holdthe consumable part. In some embodiments, the part buffer may include aplurality of compartments for receiving the used consumable parts thatare retrieved from a process module and new consumable parts that are tobe delivered to the process module. In one embodiment, an opening in thereplacement station 108, where the replacement station is mounted to theisolation valve, is sized to allow the movement of the consumable partinto and out of the replacement station 108.

The consumable part is a hardware part within the process module thatneeds to be replaced due to its continuous exposure to the processconditions within the process module. As a result of its continuousexposure to the harsh process conditions used during processing of thesemiconductor wafer, the consumable part needs to be closely monitoredto determine when damage has exceeded an acceptable level so that it canbe promptly replaced. For example, in an etch process module, an edgering is disposed adjacent to the semiconductor wafer mounted on a chuckassembly to extend the process region of the semiconductor wafer. Duringthe etching operation, the edge ring is exposed to the ion bombardmentfrom the plasma that is used to form features on a surface of thesemiconductor wafer. Over a course of time, as a result of continuousexposure, the edge ring may get damaged. When the edge ring gets damagedbeyond an acceptable level, the edge ring needs to be replaced so thatdamage of the edge ring does not expose other underlying components orotherwise adversely affect the semiconductor wafer processing.

In a typical etch operation, ions from the plasma hit the semiconductorwafer surface at an angle that is perpendicular to a plasma sheathformed in a process region defined above the semiconductor wafer, whenreceived in the process module. When layers of the edge ring wear awaydue to ion bombardment, the edge of the semiconductor wafer is exposedcausing the plasma sheath to roll along a contour of the semiconductorwafer edge. Consequently, the ions hitting the semiconductor wafersurface follow the contour of the plasma sheath thereby causing tiltfeatures to be formed toward the edge of the semiconductor wafersurface. These tilt features would affect the overall yield of thesemiconductor components formed on the semiconductor wafer. Further, aslayers of the edge ring wear away, an underlying component, such as achuck, for example, may get exposed to the ions, damaging the chucksurface. In order to improve the yield and to avoid damage to anyunderlying components, the edge ring (i.e., consumable part) needs to bereplaced periodically.

The replacement station 108 mounted to the process module 118 wouldallow the consumable part (i.e., edge ring) to be easily replacedwithout breaking vacuum in the process module. In one embodiment, thereplacement station 108 includes a dedicated robot that is configured toextend an end effector into the process module (e.g., process module118) to retrieve the consumable part that needs to be replaced, and todeliver a new consumable part. A lift mechanism within the processmodule provides access to the consumable part. The robot of thereplacement station 108 may work to place the new consumable part on alift pin of the lift mechanism, and the lift mechanism would install thenew consumable part in its position within the process module.

In one embodiment, to assist in replacing the consumable part, thereplacement station is mounted to the process module (e.g., any one oreach of the process modules 112-120) through a first isolation valve. Arobot from the replacement station is used to access and retrieve aconsumable part from the process module and move into a part bufferdefined in the replacement station and provide a replacement consumablepart from the part buffer. In one embodiment, the first isolation valvemay be operatively connected to a controller to coordinate retrieval andreplacement of the consumable part in the process module.

In addition to using the first isolation valve to mount the replacementstation to the process module, the process module may be coupled to avacuum transfer module (VTM) of the cluster tool assembly 100 using asecond isolation valve. When engaged, the second isolation valve isconfigured to isolate the process module (112-120) from the rest of thecluster tool assembly 100 so that the replacement of the consumable partwithin the process module can be easily carried out without affectingoperation of other process modules of the cluster tool assembly 100.Providing the second isolation valve allows the specific process module(any one of 112-120) to be taken off-line instead of the whole clustertool assembly 100, while the remainder of the process modules (112-120)within the cluster tool assembly 100 may be allowed to continueprocessing the semiconductor wafer. Further, as only a specific processmodule (e.g., any one of 112-120) is brought off-line for replacing theconsumable part(s), it would take considerably less time to restore theprocess module (112-120) and the cluster tool assembly 100 to a fullyoperational state. As a result, time taken for conditioning andqualifying operation of the cluster tool assembly 100 is much shorter. Arobot of the VTM 104 may be used to move the semiconductor wafer in andout of the process module (112-120) during semiconductor waferprocessing.

To allow the robot of the replacement station 108 to retrieve theconsumable part from the process module (112-120), the consumable parthas to be easily accessible. The process module (112-120), in oneembodiment, includes a lift mechanism that provides access to theconsumable part that needs to be replaced. The lift mechanism, in someembodiments, may include lift pins that can be extended to move theconsumable part to a raised position. An end effector of the robot inthe replacement station 108 is extended into the process module(112-120) and slid below the consumable part. The lift mechanism thenretracts the lift pin leaving the consumable part to rest on the endeffector of the robot. The end effector with the consumable part is thenretracted from the process module (112-120) into the replacement station108. A new consumable part is moved to the process module (112-120)using the end effector of the robot and the lift pins of the liftmechanism is extended to receive the new consumable part. The lift pinsof the lift mechanism act together to align the new consumable part intoposition in the process module (112-120). The process of retrieving andreplacing the consumable part using the lift mechanism will be discussedin more detail with reference to FIG. 4.

In some embodiments, the entire cluster tool assembly 100 may have to bebrought off-line to replace the consumable part. This may occur whenmore than one consumable part within more than one process module(112-120) needs to be replaced, for example. Even in such embodiments,the time to bring the cluster tool assembly 100 off-line, mount thereplacement station to the process module(s) (112-120), remove andreplace the consumable part, condition and qualify the cluster toolassembly 100 may be much shorter as the replacement station and theprocess module(s) are maintained at vacuum. As a result, the processcondition (i.e., vacuum) of the cluster tool assembly 100 is notadversely affected during replacement of the consumable part. Further,as the replacement is done using robot, more precise retrieval andplacement of the consumable part may be engineered, thereby avoidingrisk of damage to the consumable part and/or process module (112-120).

In some implementations, an opening at a side of the process modulewhere the replacement station is mounted may be sized so that theconsumable part can easily fit through the opening. Further, the openingin the process module (112-120) may be designed to minimize anyasymmetry issues that may occur in the process module (112-120) and inthe cluster tool assembly 100 as a whole.

The various embodiments and implementations discussed with reference toFIG. 1 allow the replacement station 108 to be mounted temporarily tothe process module (112-120) when a consumable part in the processmodule (112-120) needs to be replaced, and retracted when thereplacement of the consumable part is completed. The replacement station108 may include a single part buffer with two distinct holding areas toreceive and hold the used and new consumable parts or alternately havedifferent part buffers for holding the used and new consumable partsseparately. The robot provided in the replacement station 108 and thepart buffer(s) allow delivery and retrieval of the consumable partdirectly to and from the process module (112-120). The isolation valvesin the process module (112-120) allow bringing just the process module(112-120) offline instead of the entire cluster tool assembly 100.

FIG. 2 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a cluster tool assembly100 wherein the replacement station 108 is configured to be mounted to avacuum transfer module (VTM) 104 disposed in the cluster tool assembly100 instead of the process module (112-118). The VTM 104 includes arobot that is used, during processing of the semiconductor wafer, tomove a semiconductor wafer from a loadlock chamber 110 to a processmodule 112-118, and into and out of one or more process modules 112-118integrated with the VTM 104. The robot includes an end effector that isused to receive, hold and move the semiconductor wafer between thedifferent process modules. A separate opening is defined in the VTM 104to allow the replacement station 108 to be mounted such that thereplacement station 108 aligns with the opening defined in the VTM 104.Where symmetry is important, the opening in the VTM 104 is defined topreserve the uniformity and symmetry of the VTM 104, and of the clustertool assembly 100. For example, a dummy opening with a dummy door may bedefined in the VTM 104 opposite to the opening, to maintain theuniformity and symmetry at the VTM 104. Alternately, if a dummy openingis already present in the VTM 104 and the opening is large enough tomove the consumable part, the replacement station 108 may be mounted tothe dummy opening so as to continue to maintain the uniformity andsymmetry in the cluster tool assembly 100.

Typically, the opening in the VTM 104 is sized to fit the semiconductorwafer and a carrier/robot that are used to move the semiconductor waferin to and out of the VTM 104. However, a consumable part that is largerthan the semiconductor wafer may not fit through. For example, an edgering disposed to surround the semiconductor wafer when received in theprocess module (112-118), is wider than the semiconductor wafer. In suchcases, the edge ring as a whole may not be able to fit through theopening that was designed to move the semiconductor wafer, withoutre-engineering the opening. In some cases, re-engineering the opening ofthe VTM 104 may not be a viable option as it may affect symmetry of thecluster tool assembly. Therefore, instead of re-engineering the openingof the VTM 104 and causing asymmetry in the cluster tool assembly 100, asegmented consumable part may be used so that each segment may fitthrough the opening. For example, the edge ring that is used to surroundthe semiconductor wafer in the process module may be designed as asegmented edge ring made up of two or more parts with each part designedto fit through the opening of the VTM 104 and the replacement station108. In this example, the segmented edge ring may be individuallyextracted and replaced.

When replacing the consumable part, especially a multi-part segmentedconsumable part, each segment of the consumable part has to be properlyaligned and set within the process module so that no gap is definedbetween the segments. It should be noted that in process operations,such as a high-aspect ratio etching operation, a gap present between anycomponents of a etch process module would cause the ion to flow throughand damage any underlying component. For example, a gap in an edge ringin a high aspect etcher module would cause the high-energy ion to flowthrough to an underlying chuck on which the edge ring may be disposed,damaging the surface of the chuck. To prevent the gap from forming, thesegmented consumable part may be designed to ensure that each segmentfits tightly with other segment when installed in the process module.Accordingly, in some implementations, the segmented or multi-partconsumable part may be designed to have interlocking segments.Alternately, the consumable part may be designed to have overlappingsegments so as to prevent the ion or processing gas/chemistry fromfinding a direct flow path to the underlying component. For example, insome implementations, the consumable part may be made of an inner partand an outer part that can either wholly or segmentally fit through theopening defined between the VTM 104 and the replacement station, andinstalled in the process module with one part overlapping over the otherpart, thereby preventing gap from forming. Other variations in design ofthe consumable part may be implemented to enable the consumable part tobe moved into and out of the VTM 104 without having to re-engineer theopening that is designed to maintain symmetry in the cluster toolassembly.

In one embodiment, instead of using a dedicated robot in the replacementstation 108, a robot used in the VTM 104 to move the semiconductor waferinto and out of the process module, may also be used in the retrievaland replacement of the consumable part. In some implementations, an endeffector of the robot that is used to move the semiconductor waferbetween the process modules is also used to receive, hold and move theconsumable part between the process module 112-118 and the replacementstation 108. In other implementations, the robot of the VTM 104 isdesigned to have different end effectors for moving the consumable partand the semiconductor wafer. An end effector is a part that is usuallydefined in a robot for retrieving, supporting, holding, picking,lifting, moving, or rotating a moveable part, such as a semiconductorwafer or a consumable part. The moveable part may be held in anyorientation plane. Separate end effectors may be provided to separatelymove the consumable part and the semiconductor wafer so as to preventcontamination of the semiconductor wafer.

In an alternate embodiment, a dedicated robot in the replacement station108 may work with the robot of the VTM 104 to extract and replace theconsumable part in a process module. For example, the robot of the VTM104 may be used to extract the used consumable part from the processmodule and move it to a staging area defined between the VTM 104 and thereplacement station 108. The dedicated robot of the replacement station108 may be used to move the used consumable part from the staging areainto a part buffer. Similarly, the dedicated robot of the replacementstation 108 may be used to move a new consumable part from the partbuffer of the replacement station 108 into the staging area and therobot of the VTM 104 may be used to move the new consumable part fromthe staging area to the process module. In one embodiment, the stagingarea may have a first area for receiving the used consumable part and asecond area for receiving the new consumable part. The lift mechanism inthe process module (112-118) is used to install the new consumable partin the process module (112-118).

The design of the replacement station 108 in the embodiment illustratedin FIG. 2 is similar to the design of the replacement station 108discussed with reference to FIG. 1. For example, the replacement station108 of FIG. 2 includes a mechanism, such as a pump, to maintain thereplacement station 108 at vacuum when the replacement station 108 ismounted to the VTM 104. Maintaining the process condition of thereplacement station 108 similar to the VTM 104 (i.e., at vacuum) wouldensure that the process condition within the VTM 104 is not adverselyaffected during replacement of the consumable part. One or more partbuffers are defined in the replacement station 108 to receive and holdthe used and new consumable parts.

The design of the process module (118) illustrated in FIG. 2 is slightlydifferent from the process module (118) defined in FIG. 1. In that, theprocess module illustrated in FIG. 2 does not include a second opening.For example, as the replacement station 108 is being mounted directly tothe VTM 104 and access to the process module (118) from the replacementstation 108 is provided through the VTM 104, the process module (118)does not require a second opening for mounting the replacement station108. Additionally, a single isolation valve is used to provide access tothe process module (118) through the VTM 104 during replacement of theconsumable part and for isolating the process module during processingof semiconductor wafer. It should be noted that the replacement station108 is maintained at vacuum so that the consumable part may be easilyreplaced without adversely affecting the process condition in thecluster tool assembly 100. Consequently, the conditioning and qualifyingof the cluster tool assembly 100 to process the semiconductor wafer maybe accomplished in a shorter time as the purge/pump process is notrequired and the other qualifying steps are performed in a shorter time.The replacement station 108, in some implementations, may be permanentlymounted to the VTM 104.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of a cluster tool assembly 100wherein the replacement station 108 is mounted to an atmospherictransfer module (ATM) 102. A robot in the ATM 102 of the cluster toolassembly 100 used to move the semiconductor wafer from a wafer loader,for example, to a loadlock chamber 110 is also used to move theconsumable part to and from the replacement station 108. In thisembodiment, the replacement station 108 mounted to the ATM 102 ismaintained at same atmospheric condition as the ATM 102. Consequently,the replacement station 108 does not need a pump or similar mechanism tomaintain the replacement station 108 at vacuum. In some implementations,the replacement station 108 may be permanently mounted to the ATM 102.

In addition to the ATM 102, the cluster tool assembly 100 illustrated inFIG. 3 includes a vacuum transfer module (VTM) 104 and a plurality ofprocess modules 112-120 integrated with the VTM 104. A loadlock chamber110 is defined between the ATM 102 and the VTM 104 and acts as aninterface to move the semiconductor wafer from ATM 102 to the VTM 104,while preserving process conditions in the ATM 102 and VTM 104.

The loadlock chamber 110 of the cluster tool assembly 100 is designed tohandle both the semiconductor wafer and the consumable part. Separatestaging areas, such as compartments, may be provided in the loadlockchamber 110 for receiving the semiconductor wafer and the consumablepart in order to avoid contaminating the semiconductor wafer. Thestaging area in the loadlock chamber 110 designed for receiving theconsumable part may be further configured to provide separating stagingareas for receiving the used consumable part and the new consumablepart. An opening defined in the loadlock chamber 110 is designed to fitthe consumable part and the semiconductor wafer. Alternately, when theopening is not designed to fit the consumable part, a segmentedconsumable part may be used so that each segment of the consumable partmay fit through the opening defined in the loadlock chamber 110.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, a robot in the VTM 104 used tomove the semiconductor wafer from the loadlock chamber 110 to a processmodule (112-120) that is integrated into the VTM 104 or from one processmodule (112-120) to another, is also used to move the consumable partbetween the loadlock chamber 110 and the process module (112-120).

In some implementations, in addition to the robot s of the ATM 102 andthe VTM 104, the replacement station 108, may include a dedicated robotthat is configured to move the consumable part between a part buffer ofthe replacement station and the ATM 102. In such embodiments, the robotof the ATM 102 may be used to move the consumable part and thesemiconductor wafer between the ATM 102 and the loadlock chamber 110,and the robot of the VTM 104 may be used to move the consumable part andthe semiconductor wafer between the loadlock chamber 110 and the processmodule (112-120). In one implementation, a single end effector may beprovided in the robots of the ATM 102 and VTM 104 that may be engaged atdifferent times to move both the semiconductor wafer and the consumablepart. In another embodiment, separate end effectors may be provided inthe robots of the ATM 102 and the VTM 104, one for moving thesemiconductor wafer and another for moving the consumable part. A liftmechanism is used to properly align and install the new consumable partat appropriate location within the process module (112-120).

FIG. 3A illustrates a more detailed version of a cluster tool assembly100 that includes an additional module than what is illustrated in FIG.3, in one embodiment. As in FIG. 3, the embodiment illustrated in FIG.3A shows a replacement station 108 coupled to a first side 101 a of anATM 102 and use robots of the ATM 102 and a VTM 104 for replacing theconsumable part. In this embodiment, in addition to the replacementstation 108 being mounted at a first side 101 a of the ATM 102, one ormore wafer loaders 115 are mounted at the first side 101 a of theatmospheric transfer module 102. The wafer loader 115 may be a standardwafer loader, such as a front opening unified pod (FOUP) or a customizedwafer loader that is designed to be coupled to the ATM 102. Thereplacement station 108 and the wafer loader(s) 115 are configured to betemporarily or permanently coupled to the ATM 102 via specific loadports (not shown) defined at the first side 101 a of the ATM 102. Thedoor to the replacement station 108 and the wafer loader(s) 115 (bothstandard and customized wafer loaders) are designed to be compatiblewith an opening of a standard load port defined on the first side 101 aof the ATM 102. The wafer loader 115 includes a wafer buffer thatincludes a plurality of compartments for receiving and holding processedor un-processed wafers. It should be noted that wafers and substratesare used interchangeably in this application and refer to a thin sliceof semiconductor material used for fabrication of electronic devices,such as integrated circuits. In some embodiments, the replacementstation 108 is similar in structure and design to the wafer loader 115(e.g., FOUP), and includes a part buffer 224 with a plurality ofcompartments 207 that are configured to receive and store the new and/orused consumable parts 208.

In addition to the replacement station 108 and the wafer loaders 115,one or more buffer stations 113 may be coupled to the ATM 102. Thebuffer stations 113 may include dynamic aligners that are generally usedto provide alignment inputs to a computer that is communicativelyconnected to the ATM 102. The alignment input is used to align the waferwhen it is being delivered to the loadlock chamber 110. For example, arobot 103 within the ATM 102 may be used to move the wafer from one ofthe wafer loaders 115 on to a chuck disposed inside a dynamic alignerwithin the buffer station 113. The chuck is configured to spin thewafer. A sensor within the dynamic aligner is used to detect one or morenotches provided along an edge of the wafer, the off-center of thenotch, and provide this data as alignment input to the computer. Thecomputer may provide the alignment input to the robot, so that the robotcan use the alignment input to deliver the wafer from the dynamicaligner to the loadlock chamber 110, such that the wafer is properlyaligned when delivered. In some implementations, one or more of thedynamic aligners may be used to provide alignment input for theconsumable part to the computer to ensure the consumable part isproperly aligned when delivered to the loadlock chamber 110. It shouldbe noted that the alignment input for aligning the wafer may bedifferent from the alignment input for aligning the consumable part. Inother implementations, the alignment of the consumable part may be donewithin the replacement station. In such implementations, there is noneed to perform further alignment when delivering the consumable part tothe loadlock chamber 110.

In some embodiments, the robot 103 within the ATM 102 that is designedto move the wafer is also designed to move a consumable part 208 fromthe replacement station 108 to the loadlock chamber 110. The existingdesign of the robot 103 includes an end effector mechanism with“fingers” that are used to support the wafer. However, the fingers onthe end effector mechanism are designed to support the wafer, and aretherefore short and not designed to provide the contact support for theconsumable part, as the consumable part is typically larger in diameterthan the wafer. To accommodate for this discrepancy, in one embodiment,the fingers of the end effector mechanism of the robot 103 within theATM 102 are extended to a length that is sufficient to allow the fingersto provide contact support for the consumable part 208. Although the endeffector mechanism with extended fingers has been described as beingimplemented in the robot 103 of the ATM 102, it should be noted that theend effector mechanism described herein may also be implemented in arobot 105 of the VTM 104.

In an alternate embodiment, the short fingers of the end effectormechanism of the robot within the ATM 102 are used to support a ringcarrier. The surface of the ring carrier is used to support theconsumable part. The ring carrier may be in the form of a carrier platethat is stored within a housing in the replacement station 108 andretrieved when the consumable part needs to be transported to theloadlock chamber 110. In this embodiment, the fingers of theend-effector need not have to be re-designed as the existing fingers ofthe end effector can be used to support the carrier plate. Details ofthe end effector mechanism used within the ATM 102 and/or the VTM 104will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6A-6C. The carrierplate used in supporting and transporting the consumable part will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 8A-8B, 9A-9B.

Replacing a consumable part in a process module 112 integrated in acluster tool assembly 100 requires access to the process module 112 andto the consumable part 208 within the process module 112. The access tothe process module 112 has been discussed with reference to FIGS. 1-3wherein a replacement station 108 is mounted directly to a processmodule (112-120), or to a vacuum transfer module 104 or to anatmospheric transfer module 102 through which access is provided to theprocess module (112-118, 120). Once the process module (112-120) isaccessed, access to the consumable part needs to be provided so that theconsumable part can be safely retrieved and replaced without damagingthe consumable part or other hardware components of the process module(112-120).

FIG. 4 illustrates an example embodiment of a lift mechanism that may beused within a process module (112-120) of a cluster tool assembly 100 toprovide access to a consumable part 208 that needs to be replaced. Insome implementations, the consumable part 208 is disposed over a bottomedge ring 236, and adjacent to a cover ring 232. The bottom edge ring236 is disposed over a base ring 240 and, in some implementations, nextto a sleeve ring 238. An insulator ring 234 may be provided between thelift mechanism and a sidewall of the chamber. The lift mechanism isconfigured to move the consumable part 208 to a raised position so thatthe consumable part 208 can be accessed. In some implementation, theconsumable part 208 is an edge ring that is disposed adjacent to asemiconductor wafer 150 that is received in the process module duringprocessing. The lift mechanism includes a plurality of lift pins 202that are connected to a plurality of actuators 204. For example, thelift pins may be distributed along a plane to allow the lift pins tocontact the consumable part at different points and move the consumablepart. In some implementations, the lift pins distributed in a plane maybe grouped into distinct sets, with each set of lift pins being operatedindependently to access and lift different consumable parts. In someimplementations, the actuators 204 are vacuum-sealed actuators that areoutfitted with plurality of lift pins 202.

The actuators 204 are driven by an actuator drive 206. In a disengagedmode, the lift pins 202 stay retracted inside a housing defined in thelift mechanism and is not in contact with the consumable part 208. Whenthe consumable part 208 needs to be replaced, the actuator 204 ispowered through the actuator drive 206. The powered actuator 204 causesthe lift pins 202 to extend outside of the housing so as to come incontact with the consumable part 208 and move the consumable part 208 toa raised position. As the process module (e.g., 118) is maintained in avacuum state, when the consumable part is raised, the consumable part israised into the vacuum space 210. A robot of either the VTM 104 or thereplacement station 108 extends an end effector into the process module118 and allows it to slide underneath the raised consumable part 208. Insome embodiments, the end effector attached to the robot is shaped likea spatula allowing the end effector to support the raised consumablepart. Once the end effector has slid into place, the actuators 204retract the lift pins 202 into the housing, causing the consumable part208 to rest on the end effector. The robot is then manipulated to pullthe end effector back into either the VTM 104 or the replacement station108, depending on which robot is used to retrieve the consumable part208, bringing the consumable part 208 with it. A reverse order occurswhen a new consumable part 208 needs to be placed in the process module(e.g., 118). The lift mechanism of the process module (e.g., 118) isused to properly install the consumable part in an appropriate locationin the process module (118) so that the process module (118) and thecluster tool assembly 100 are operational.

In addition to providing power to the actuators to operate the lift pinsto raise the consumable part 208, a power source connected to theactuator drive 206 of the lift mechanism, in some implementations, maysupply power to the consumable part through the lift pins. The actuators204 and the lift pins 202, in such implementations, may be made ofconductive material so as to supply power to the consumable part 208. Insome implementations, a surface area of the lift pin that comes incontact with the consumable part may act as an electrical contact and beused to supply the power to the consumable part from a power source. Insome implementations, the power source is a radio frequency (RF) powersource so as to allow the lift pins 202 to supply RF power to theconsumable part 208. Additional details of powering the consumable partusing RF power source are described in co-owned and co-pending U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/191,817, filed on Jul. 13, 2015,and entitled “Extreme Edge Sheath and Wafer Profile Tuning ThroughEdge-Localized Ion Trajectory Control and Plasma Operation,” which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In someimplementations, the lift pins 202 may be switched. The switch may beused to control amount of power supplied to the consumable part 208. Insome implementations, the switch may be used to supply different powerto the consumable part 208. In some implementations, the power suppliedto the consumable part 208 may be used to heat the consumable part 208.For example, when the consumable part 208 is an edge ring, the powersupplied by the power source may be used to provide a temperaturecontrolled edge ring. In some implementations, power may be provided tothe consumable part 208 through other means, such as through capacitivecoupling. Additional details for providing power to the consumable part208, such as edge ring, using alternate means, such as capacitivecoupling are described in co-owned and co-pending U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/206,753, filed on Aug. 18, 2015, and entitled“Edge Ring Assembly for Improving Feature Profile Tilting at ExtremeEdge of Wafer,” which is incorporated herein by reference. It should benoted that the different means for providing power to a consumable part208 discussed herein are mere examples and other forms of providingpower to the edge ring may also be employed. In some implementations,the consumable part 208 (single piece or different pieces of amulti-piece consumable part) may be aligned and installed into positionin the process module (e.g., 118) using one or more magnets. Forexample, the lift mechanism provided in the process module (e.g., 118)may include a surface on which the consumable part 208 is supported. Oneor more magnets may be disposed on an underside of the surface of thelift mechanism on which the consumable part 208 is supported. Themagnets disposed in the lift mechanism may be used to align theconsumable part into position within the process module (e.g., 118).

In some implementations, the lift mechanism may be connected to an aircompressor or other compressed pressure source to allow the liftmechanism to be operated pneumatically. In some implementations, thelift mechanism may be used to provide electrostatic clamping to clampthe consumable part 208 in position within the process module (e.g.,118). In these implementations, the lift mechanism may be connected to adirect current (DC) power source to allow the lift pins 202 to providethe DC power to clamp the consumable part 208 in position within theprocess module (e.g., 118).

FIG. 5A illustrates an example cluster tool assembly identifying variouscomponents that are used for replacing a consumable part within aprocess module 118, in one embodiment. The process module 118 may be anetcher module that can be used to generate a transformer coupled plasma(TCP) for performing conductive etching, or a capacitively coupledplasma (CCP) for conducting dielectric etching, or used to perform aplasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) or an atomic layerdeposition (ALD), or any other type of etching on a semiconductor wafer.Alternately, the process module 118 may be used to perform any otherprocess operation (e.g., deposition, plating, etc.) to define differentfeatures on the semiconductor wafer.

The replacement station 108 may include a part buffer 224. The partbuffer 224, in one embodiment, includes a plurality of compartments 207that are configured to receive used consumable part 208 retrieved from aprocess module and new consumable part 208 that need to be delivered tothe process module. Alternately, separate part buffers 224 may be usedto distinctly store used consumable parts 208 and new consumable parts208. An exchange handler 214 within the replacement station 108 may beused to move the new consumable part 208 from a compartment 207 of thepart buffer 224 into the process module 118 and retrieve used consumablepart 208 from the process module 118 and store in compartment 207 of thepart buffer 224. The exchange handler 214 includes a robot 215 that isconfigured to move laterally, vertically and/or radially to allow an endeffector 213 of the exchange handler 214 to access the consumable part208 in the part buffer 224 and the process module 118. The end effectormay be configured to access, retrieve and deliver the consumable part208 to the part buffer 224 or the process module. In someimplementations, the end effector may be a special end effector that isdesigned to retrieve, pick, lift, support, hold, move, or rotate theconsumable part in any plane. The end effector of the exchange handler214 may be manipulated to extend and contract during operation so thatthe consumable part may be retrieved from a process module and stored inthe part buffer 224. In some implementations, the end effector may beconfigured to move radially, laterally and/or vertically to providegreater flexibility during retrieval operation. The exchange handler 214is connected to a controller 220 to control movement of the robot 215and the end effector 213 of the exchange handler 214.

The replacement station 108 may also include a vacuum control module 231that is connected to a pump 233 so as to manipulate the processcondition in the replacement station 108. In some implementations, thereplacement station 108 is connected to the controller 220 to enablecoordinating operation or action of the pump 233 through the vacuumcontrol module 231 during replacement of the consumable part.

A first isolation valve 216 is provided between the replacement station108 and the process module 118 to allow the replacement station 108 tobe mounted to the process module 118. In some implementation, the firstisolation valve 216 may be a gate valve. The process module 118 includesa first side and a second side, with the first side of the processmodule 118 coupled to a vacuum transfer module (VTM) 104, and a secondside of the process module 118 coupled to a first side of the firstisolation valve 216. A second side of the first isolation valve 216 iscoupled to a replacement station 108. The coupling manipulates the doors217, 219, for example, defined in the replacement station 108 and theprocess module 118, respectively, so as to allow a robot 215 in thereplacement station 108 to access the process module 118. A first sideof a second isolation valve 216′ is coupled to the VTM 104 and a secondside of the second isolation valve 216′ is coupled to the first side ofthe process module 118. The coupling allows manipulation of the doors227, 229 that cover corresponding openings defined in the process module118 and the VTM 104, respectively, so as to allow a robot in the VTM 104to access the process module 118 and move the semiconductor wafer intoand out of the process module 118, during processing. The firstisolation valve 216 and the second isolation valve 216′ are connected tothe controller 220 to coordinate coupling of the process module 118 tothe VTM 104 and the replacement station 108.

The process module 118 includes an upper electrode 218 that may be usedto provide process chemistry to a process region defined in the processmodule 118. The upper electrode 218 may be connected to a power source(not shown) to provide power to the process chemistry in the processregion so as to generate plasma, for example. In some embodiments, thepower source may be a RF power source that is connected to the upperelectrode 218 through a match network (not shown). Alternately, theupper electrode may be electrically grounded.

The process module 118 also includes a lower electrode 230. The lowerelectrode 230 is, in some implementations, configured to receive asemiconductor wafer 150 for processing. In some implementations, thelower electrode 230 is an electrostatic chuck. The lower electrode 230may be coupled to a power source (not shown) to provide power to thelower electrode 230 during processing. Alternately, the lower electrode230 may be electrically grounded.

The process module 118 includes a lift mechanism 221 to enable theconsumable part 208 to be moved to a raised position. The lift mechanism221 is similar to the lift mechanism discussed with reference to FIG. 4and includes a plurality of lift pins 202 and actuators 204 to lift theconsumable part to a raised position, and an actuator drive 206connected to the actuators 204 to provide the power to drive theactuator 204. The actuator drive 206 may be coupled to the controller220 to control operation of the lift mechanism 221 during replacement ofthe consumable part.

The controller 220 includes a vacuum state control 223 and a transferlogic 225 to facilitate coordinating operation of the various componentsthat are connected to the controller 220. In one implementation, when aconsumable part is to be replaced in the process module 118, thereplacement station 108 is brought in contact with the first isolationvalve 216. In response to detecting the replacement station 108 at thefirst isolation valve 216, a signal is sent from the first isolationvalve 216 to the controller 220. The controller 220 then coordinates thecoupling of the replacement station 108 to the process module 118 andmaintaining vacuum at the replacement station 108. For example, inresponse to the detection signal received from the first isolation valve216, the vacuum state control 223 of the controller 220 may send asignal to the vacuum control module 231 to begin the process of couplingthe replacement station 108 to the process module 118. In response tothe signal received from the vacuum state control 223, the vacuumcontrol module 231 may activate the pump 233 to allow the pump 233 tobring the replacement station to a vacuum state. Once the replacementstation 108 has reached a vacuum state, a signal is sent from the vacuumcontrol module 231 to the vacuum state control 223. The vacuum statecontrol 223 then sends a signal to the first isolation valve 216 tocouple the replacement station to the process module 118. The firstisolation valve 216, in response, ensures any intermediate region of thefirst isolation valve 216 between the replacement station 108 and theprocess module 118 is maintained in a vacuum state. Upon ensuring, thefirst isolation valve 216 performs the coupling of the process module118 to a first side of the first isolation valve 216 and the replacementstation 108 to a second side of the first isolation valve 216. Furthertesting may be done to ensure the replacement station 108 andintermediate areas of the first isolation valve 216 are at vacuum beforemanipulating the doors 217, 219 to provide access to the process module118.

As part of the coupling operation, the vacuum state control 223 maycoordinate operation of a second isolation valve 216′ so as to keep thedoors 227, 229 covering corresponding openings defined in the processmodule 118 and the VTM 104 to which the process module 118 isintegrated, closed and sealed. During the coupling, the lift mechanism221 in the process module 118 is kept in a disengaged mode with the liftpins 202 retracted into a housing of the lift mechanism 221 and theconsumable part 208 resting in its installed position. For example, theconsumable part 208 is an edge ring. In its installed position, the edgering is positioned adjacent to and substantially surrounding asemiconductor wafer 150, when the semiconductor wafer 150 is present inthe process module 118.

Once the process of coupling is completed, a signal is sent from thefirst isolation valve 216 and, in some embodiments, from the secondisolation valve 216′, to the controller 220. In response, the controller220 activates a transfer logic 225. The transfer logic 225 is configuredto coordinate movement of the robot 215, the end effector 213 of theexchange handler 214 within the replacement station 108 and the actuatordrive 206 of the lift mechanism 221 in the process module 118 to allowthe end effector 213 to retrieve the consumable part from the processmodule 118 and move to a compartment 207 in a part buffer 224 defined inthe replacement station 108 and to move a replacement for the consumablepart from a compartment 207 of the part buffer 224 back to the processmodule 118 for installation. The lift mechanism 221 is manipulated toinstall the replacement consumable part into an appropriate location inthe process module 118.

FIG. 5B illustrates the process followed to retrieve the consumable part208 from the process module 118, in one embodiment. The consumable part208 is usually replaced before a semiconductor wafer is received in theprocess module 118 for processing. In accordance to this embodiment,once the replacement station 108 is coupled to the process module 118through the first isolation valve 216 and the second isolation valve216′ seals the doors 227, 229 to VTM 104, the transfer logic 225 of thecontroller 220 is used to send signals to the exchange handler 214 andto the actuator drive 206 to retrieve the consumable part from theprocess module and replace with a new consumable part. The transferlogic 225 sends signals to manipulate the robot 215 and the end effector213 to allow the end effector 213 to extend into the process module 118to retrieve the consumable part. At the same time, the transfer logic225 manipulates the actuator drive 206 to cause the actuators 204 tomove the lift pins 202 out of a housing defined in the lift mechanism221, thereby moving the consumable part 208 from an installed positionto a raised position, as illustrated in FIG. 5B. The end effector 213slides below the raised consumable part 208 substantially supporting it.The actuator drive 206 is then manipulated to cause the actuators 204 toretract the lift pins 202 into the housing in the lift mechanism 221allowing the raised consumable part 208 to rest on the end effector 213of the exchange handler 214. The end effector 213 of the exchangehandler 214 is then manipulated to retract into the replacement station108 bringing the consumable part 208 with it. The end effector 213 isthen manipulated to move the retrieved consumable part 208 to acompartment 207 of the part buffer 224.

A new consumable part 208 is moved from a different compartment 207 ofthe part buffer 224 to the process module 118 in a similar manner. Whenthe new consumable part 208 is moved into the process module 118, theactuator drive 206 is manipulated to cause the actuators 204 to extendthe lift pins 202 out of the housing so as to receive the new consumablepart 208. The actuators 204 allow the lift pins 202 to be lowered sothat the consumable part 208 is set in an installed position in theprocess module 118. During the replacement of the consumable part, thevacuum state control 223 continually interacts with the vacuum controlmodule 231 to ensure that the pump 233 continues to keep the replacementstation in a vacuum state so as to match the vacuum state maintained inthe process module 118.

Once the consumable part 208 is replaced, the controller 220 is used tocoordinate the withdrawal of the replacement station 108 from theprocess module 118. In accordance to this, the controller 220 sends asignal to the first isolation valve 216 to close the doors 217, 219between the process module 118 and the replacement station 108, and asignal to the second isolation valve 216′ to unlock the doors 227, 229so as to allow the VTM 104 to access the process module 118.

In some implementations, the process module 118 may be conditionedbefore returning the process module to active operation. Theconditioning operation may take a shorter time as the replacement of theconsumable part was carried out in vacuum and only the process module118 needs to be conditioned. A signal may then be sent from the vacuumstate control 223 to the vacuum control module 231 to allow the pump 233to purge the replacement station 108. The replacement station 108 maythen be dismounted from the process module 118.

FIG. 5C illustrates the process followed for replacing a consumable partwithin an embodiment of cluster tool assembly illustrated in FIG. 2,wherein the replacement station 108 is mounted to a VTM 104 instead ofthe process module 118. In this embodiment, the replacement station 108is mounted to a vacuum transfer module (VTM) 104 through a firstisolation valve 216, such that a first side of the first isolation valve216 is coupled to a first side of the VTM 104. A replacement station 108is coupled to the second side of the first isolation valve 216. A secondisolation valve 216′ is disposed such that a first side of the secondisolation valve 216′ is coupled to a process module 118 and a secondside of the second isolation valve 216′ is coupled to the second side ofthe VTM 104. The first isolation valve 216 is configured to manipulatedoors 237, 239 that cover corresponding openings defined in thereplacement station 108 and the VTM 104, respectively, and the secondisolation valve 216′ is configured to manipulate doors 227, 229, thatcover corresponding openings defined in the VTM 104 and the processmodule 118, respectively, so as to allow a robot in the VTM 104 toaccess, retrieve and move the consumable part between the process module118 and a compartment 207 in a part buffer 224 in the replacementstation 108. The replacement station 108 illustrated in FIG. 5C does notinclude a dedicated exchange handler 214 with robot 215 and end effector213. The robot 235 is operatively coupled to the controller 220 so as toallow the controller to coordinate operation of the robot 235. Further,the replacement station, the first isolation valve 216, the VTM 104, thesecond isolation valve 216′ and the process module 118 are coupled tothe controller 220 so as to synchronize access between the replacementstation and the process module during replacement of the consumable partwhile the process module 118, the VTM 104 and the replacement station108 are kept at a vacuum state.

The process of mounting the replacement station 108 to the VTM 104 issimilar to the embodiment discussed with reference to FIG. 5A exceptthat the replacement station 108 is mounted to the VTM 104 instead ofthe process module 118. The process of replacing the consumable part 208is similar to the embodiment discussed with reference to FIG. 5A exceptthe controller 220 coordinates with the robot 235 of the VTM 104 insteadof coordinating with the robot 215, end effector 213 of the replacementstation 108 discussed in FIG. 5A.

In an alternate embodiment, the replacement station 108 may include anexchange handler 214 (not shown) with a robot 215 and end effector 213,wherein the exchange handler 214 is operatively connected to thecontroller 220. The controller 220 is used to control coordination ofthe robot 215, the end effector 213, and the robot 235 duringreplacement of the consumable part. In this embodiment, the robot 215and the end effector 213 may be used to retrieve and move the consumablepart between the part buffer 224 and the VTM 104, and the robot 235 ofthe VTM 104 may be used to move the consumable part between the VTM 104and the process module 118.

It should be noted that in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5C, thesecond isolation valve 216′ is not used to isolate the process module118 from the rest of the cluster tool assembly 100 during replacement ofthe consumable part. This is due to the fact that the access to theprocess module, in this embodiment, is provided through the VTM 104. Asa result, second isolation valve 216′ is configured to provide accesswhen the consumable part needs to be replaced, while enabling selectiveisolation of the process module 118 during the processing of asemiconductor wafer. The conditioning of the cluster tool assembly 100after replacement of the consumable part, in this embodiment, will takeshorter time as the replacement station, the VTM 104 and the processmodule 118 are all maintained in a vacuum state during the replacementof the consumable part.

FIG. 6A illustrates an end effector mechanism 70 that is used in a robot103 of an ATM 102 to transfer wafer between a wafer loader 115 and aloadlock chamber 110. As illustrated in FIG. 6A, the end effectormechanism 70 includes a wrist plate 701 that is connectable to a robot,such as robot 103 in the ATM 102, on one side and to a mounting armseton the other side. In some embodiments, the mounting armset is made of asingle plate of stainless steel material. A finger assembly 705 ismounted to a second side of the mounting armset. In some embodiments,the finger assembly 705 is mounted to the mounting armset using a springloaded mounting to provide a way of leveling adjustment of the fingerassembly 705. The finger assembly 705 includes a pair of fingers 707extending a length that is sufficient to support a wafer but is notsufficient to support a consumable part 208, as shown in FIG. 6A. Insome embodiments, the wrist plate 701 and the finger assembly 705 of theend effector mechanism 70 is made of aluminum material. The length L1-aof the finger assembly 705, in some embodiments, is about 280 mm and thelength L1-b of the fingers 707 is about 103 mm.

The fingers 707 of the finger assembly 705 may be extended toaccommodate a consumable part 208. However, if the fingers 707 of thefinger assembly 705 were to be extended, the stainless steel materialused in the end effector mechanism 70 of FIG. 6A would cause deflectionin the fingers 707 from the wafer transfer plane due to increase inpayload caused by the extra material. The amount of deflection wouldmake this end effector mechanism 70 less desirable for use in a tightspace, such as space within a cluster tool assembly, where precision inthe transfer plane is desired. So, instead of re-designing the fingerassembly 705 to extend the fingers 707, the original design of thefinger assembly 705 is maintained. The original design of the fingerassembly 705 is used to transport the consumable part by allowing thefinger assembly 705 to support a ring carrier. The ring carrier is, inturn, used to support the consumable part 208. Details of the ringcarrier will be described with reference to FIGS. 8A-8B.

FIGS. 6B, 6B-1, and 6C illustrate an example end effector mechanism 700that is used in the robot within the cluster tool assembly 100, in someembodiments. FIG. 6B illustrates a top view, FIG. 6B-1 illustrates aside view, and FIG. 6C illustrates a side-angled view of the example endeffector mechanism 700 that is used to receive and transport theconsumable part. The end effector mechanism 700 illustrated in FIGS. 6B,6B-1, and -6C is re-designed to allow the end effector mechanism 700 tobe able to transport a consumable part in addition to transporting awafer. It should be noted that the end effector mechanism 700illustrated in FIGS. 6B, 6B-1, 6C may be implemented in a robot 105within the VTM 104 and/or in a robot 103 within the ATM 102. There-designed end effector mechanism 700 includes a wrist plate 702 thatis mountable to a robot at one end and to a mounting armset 704 at anopposite end. The mounting armset 704 is defined by a top plate 704 aand a bottom plate 704 b, as illustrated in FIG. 6B-1. The top plate 704a of the mounting armset 704, in some embodiments, is made of stainlesssteel material and the bottom plate 704 b of the mounting armset 704 ismade of aluminum. Variations in the material used for the top plate andthe bottom plate may be implemented so long as the functionality of themounting armset is maintained. In some embodiments, a spring loadedmounting may be effectuated between top plate 704 a and the wrist plate702.

A finger assembly 710 with a pair of fingers 706 is clamped between thetop plate 704 a and the bottom plate 704 b of the mounting armset 704with the pair of fingers 706 extending outward from the mounting armset704. The finger assembly 710 of the end effector mechanism 700, in someembodiments, is made of ceramic material. The ceramic material providesstiffness to the fingers 706 and the finger assembly 710, therebyreducing deflection from a ring transfer plane, especially whensupporting the wafer and/or the consumable part. Further, ceramic islighter in weight, thereby resulting in reduced payload on the fingerassembly 710. The clamping provides a stable mount of the fingerassembly 710 while ensuring that it does not cause any stress crackingin the ceramic finger assembly 710. Further, the light-weight ceramicmaterial allows the finger assembly 710 to be aligned substantiallyparallel to the ring transfer plane so that the consumable part can besmoothly transferred into and out of the loadlock chamber 110. A firstpair of consumable contact pads 708 a are defined at a proximal end ofthe finger assembly 710 and a second pair of consumable contact pads 708b are defined at a distal end of the finger assembly 710 proximal to thetips of the fingers 706 of the finger assembly 710. A length L3-abetween the consumable contact pads 708 a, 708 b is defined to be about301 mm. Similarly, a third pair of substrate contact pads 708 c aredisposed proximal to the first pair of consumable contact pads 708 a anda fourth pair of substrate contact pads 708 d are disposed proximal thesecond pair of consumable contact pads 708 b. The third pair and thefourth pair of substrate contact pads are disposed to be inside thefirst pair and the second pair of consumable contact pads. A length L3-bbetween the substrate contact pads 708 c, 708 d is defined to be about133 mm.

Referring now to FIG. 6B, the finger assembly 710 has a proximal end 710a that is defined adjacent to the mounting armset 704 and a distal endthat is defined at tips of the pair of fingers 706. In some embodiments,the length L2-a is defined to cover at least a diameter of theconsumable part 208, when received so as to allow the consumable part tobe supported. For example, the length L2-a of the finger assembly 710 isdefined to be at least about 360 mm, and length L2-b of the pair offingers 706 is defined to be at least 182 mm. The finger assembly 710 isused to receive and transport both the consumable part 208 and thewafer. For example, the finger assembly 710 is configured to transport a300 mm wafer as well as a consumable part, such as an edge ring, thatsurrounds the 300 mm wafer. In other embodiments, the finger assembly710 is configured to transport a 200 mm wafer, or a 450 mm wafer, orwafer of any other dimension, as well as a consumable part, such as anedge ring, that surrounds the respective sized wafer. In theseembodiments, the finger assembly 710 is sized to support theappropriately sized wafer and consumable part.

To assist in the transportation of the consumable part 208 and thewafer, a plurality of contact pads are provided on a top surface of thefinger assembly 710 at varying distances so as to support the consumablepart and the wafer, when received. In some embodiments, separate sets ofcontact pads are provided to allow the consumable part and the wafer tohave distinct contact surfaces on the finger assembly 710. Thisarrangement may be desirable to reduce contamination of the wafer whenusing the same finger assembly 710 to transfer the consumable part. Afirst pair of consumable contact pads 708 a may be disposed on the topsurface of the finger assembly 710 and is located at or near theproximal end 710 a that is close to the mounting armset 704. A secondpair of consumable contact pads 708 b is disposed on the top surface ofthe finger assembly 710 and is located at or near the distal end 710 bthat is close to the tips 706 a of the pair of fingers 706. The firstpair 708 a and the second pair 708 b of the consumable contact pads areused for transferring the consumable part. Similarly, a third pair ofsubstrate contact pads 708 c is disposed on the top surface of thefinger assembly 710 adjacent to the first pair of consumable contactpads and between the first pair and the second pair of consumablecontact pads, 708 a, 708 b. A fourth pair of substrate contact pads 708d is disposed on the top surface of the finger assembly 710 adjacent tothe second pair of consumable contact pads and between the first and thesecond pair of consumable contact pads, 708 a, 708 b. The third pair andthe fourth pair of substrate contact pads 708 c, 708 d, are used totransport the wafer. The consumable contact pads 708 a, 708 b aredisposed outside of a diameter of the wafer and the substrate contactpads 708 c, 708 d are disposed inside of a diameter of the wafer. Thisdesign allows separation of the receiving surface of the wafer and theconsumable part 208 on the finger assembly 710 so as to minimizecontamination of the wafer.

The contact pads, in some embodiments, are made of non-skid material,such as an elastomer material. The location of the consumable contactpads 708 a, 708 b, on the top surface of the fingers 706 is such thatwhen the end effector mechanism 700 of the robot lifts the consumablepart 208, the contact pad provides a reliable contact support to abottom surface of the consumable part 208. In some embodiments, morethan one set of consumable contact pads 708 a, 708 b may be provided atthe proximal end 710 a and the distal end 710 b of the finger assembly710, such that they are able to provide reliable contact support. Insome embodiments, the additional consumable contact pads 708 may bedisposed to provide contact support for a bottom surface of a consumablepart 208 with a distinct bottom surface profile that may require morethan one contact point.

FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate specific embodiments of the finger assembly 710used in an end effector mechanism 700 for supporting consumable parts208 having different bottom surface profiles. The consumable part 208,in some embodiments, may be an edge ring that is disposed adjacent to awafer, when the wafer is received in a process module 112, for example.The edge ring may have different cross sectional profiles at the bottomsurface and the consumable contact pads 708 are disposed on the topsurface of the finger assembly 710 to accommodate the different surfaceprofiles of the consumable part 208.

FIG. 7A illustrates an embodiment, wherein a cross section of a bottomsurface edge of the consumable part 208 is substantially rectangular. Inthis embodiment, a consumable contact pads 708 disposed at a top surfaceof the finger assembly 710 provides sufficient contact surface, when theconsumable part 208 is properly aligned and received on the fingerassembly 710 of the end effector mechanism 700. In some implementations,the consumable contact pads 708 a, 708 b are separated by a distancethat is equal to at least a diameter of the consumable part. In theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 7A, the consumable contact pad 708 isdisposed such that it contacts a bottom surface of the consumable part208 at mid span.

FIG. 7B illustrates an alternate cross sectional profile of the bottomsurface of the consumable part 208, in one embodiment. The consumablepart 208 includes a cut in the bottom surface at an outer diameter ofthe consumable part 208. The location of the consumable contact pad 708disposed on a top surface of the finger assembly 710 ensures that theconsumable contact pad continues to provide contact support theconsumable part 208 and does not miss the bottom surface of theconsumable part 208 so long as the alignment of the consumable part 208on the fingers 706 is within pre-defined position error limits.

FIG. 7C-1 illustrates a second alternate cross sectional profile of thebottom surface of the consumable part 208, in one embodiment. Theconsumable part 208 includes a cut out in the middle of the bottomsurface. If the consumable contact pad 708 disposed at a distanceillustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B were to be used, the contact pad 708 willnot provide sufficient or reliable contact with the bottom surface ofthe consumable part 208, as illustrated in FIG. 7C-1. This would causethe consumable part to be received on the top surface of the fingers 706instead of the surface of the consumable contact pad 708. As the pair offingers 706 are made of ceramic material with fine finish, there is ahigh likelihood that the consumable part 208 received on the pair offingers 706 may get misaligned during its transportation—a highlyundesirable outcome. In order to avoid such misalignment from occurring,additional consumable contact pads may be provided on the fingerassembly 710 at different distances so as to ensure that the bottomsurface of the consumable part 208 with the cut-out, when received onthe finger assembly 710, makes sufficient contact with one or moreconsumable contact pads 708 disposed on the pair of fingers 706. Theconsumable contact pads are defined on the finger assembly 710 so as tosupport consumable part 208 of expected cross section through a range ofexpected position error, while also staying outside of an expected rangeof wafer offset such that the wafer, when received never touches theconsumable contact pads. FIG. 7C-2 illustrates one such example, where aset of two consumable contact pads 708 are provided on the fingerassembly 710 at different distances so as to provide reliable contactsupport at the bottom of the consumable part 208. The distance betweenthe two consumable contact pads 708 may be configured in accordance towidth of the cut-out.

FIG. 7D illustrates a third alternate cross sectional profile of thebottom surface of the consumable part 208, in one embodiment. In thisembodiment, the consumable part 208 includes a smaller inner diameterlip so as to allow a wafer to be received over the lip of the consumablepart, when received in a process module. The bottom surface of theconsumable part 208, in this embodiment, includes a larger surface areathan the ones illustrated in FIGS. 7A-7C. As a result, the consumablecontact pad 708 disposed on the finger assembly 710 would providesufficient contact support for the consumable part 208 duringtransportation. Some embodiments may use a different type of contact padconcept than what is shown in FIGS. 7A-7D.

FIG. 7E illustrates the end effector mechanism 700 depicted in a robot105 within the VTM 104 and FIGS. 7F-1, 7F-2 show details of an alternatecontact pad concept used in the end effector mechanism 700, to enablereceiving consumable part of varying bottom profiles. The variouscomponents of the end effector mechanism 700 illustrated in FIG. 7E aresimilar to what was discussed with reference to the end effectormechanism 700 depicted in FIG. 6A.

FIGS. 7F-1 and 7F-2 illustrate the alternate contact pad concept used inthe end effector mechanism 700 for receiving consumable part, in someembodiments. FIG. 7F-2 shows an expanded view of a portion A-1 of afinger 706 within the finger assembly 710 where an alternate contact padconcept is defined. In such embodiments, a ring-shaped contact structure709 may be used instead of consumable contact pads 708. In someembodiments, the ring-shaped contact structure 709 may be in the form ofan O-ring made of elastomeric material. Using the O-ring or ring-shapedcontact structure 709 allows for a ring shaped line contact that spans alarger range of the consumable part radius. It also addresses consumablepart bottom profile variation issues that are described with referenceto FIGS. 7A-7D and provides more tolerance of position error on the endeffector mechanism 700. In some embodiments, the consumable contact padsor ring-shaped contact structure and wafer contact pads are defined tobe a permanent part of the end effector mechanism 700. In suchembodiments, the contact pads (consumable, wafer contact pads) and/orcontact structure may be made of ceramic material or any other metalthat is suitable for the environment defined in the ATM 102 or the VTM104. In other embodiments, the consumable, wafer contact pads or contactstructure may be made of a replaceable, consumable material, such aselastomer or other similar type of material.

Referring back to FIGS. 6B-6C, the end effector mechanism 700illustrated in FIGS. 6B-6C may be employed by a robot 105 within avacuum transfer module 104, and in some embodiments in a robot 103within the ATM 102, as well. In alternate embodiments, the end effectormechanism 700 of FIGS. 6B-6C may be employed by the robot 105 of the VTM104 while configuration of the end effector mechanism 70 illustrated inFIG. 6A or a re-designed end effector mechanism 70 or 700 may beimplemented within the robot 103 of the ATM 102.

FIGS. 8A-8B illustrate top views of different end effector mechanismsused in robots within the ATM 102 and the VTM 104, in some embodimentsof the invention. As mentioned earlier, the robot 103 in the ATM 102 mayuse either an existing end effector mechanism 70 with short fingers anda carrier plate, or a modified end effector mechanism 700 with extendedfingers to move the wafer as well as the consumable part. FIG. 8Aillustrates a top view of an existing end effector mechanism 70integrated within the robot 103 of the ATM 102 that is typically used todeliver a wafer to a loadlock chamber 110. The existing end effectormechanism 70 may also be used to deliver a consumable part to theloadlock chamber 110. As can be seen in FIG. 8A, the pair of fingers 707defined in the end effector mechanism 70 is designed to provide contactsupport for a wafer (not shown) and is not designed to provide contactsupport for the consumable part 208, which has a larger radius than thewafer. In order to enable the end effector mechanism 70 to be used forsupporting and transferring the consumable part, a ring carrier fixtureis used.

FIG. 8B illustrates an example embodiment wherein a ring carrier fixtureis used with the end effector mechanism 70 in the robot 103 of the ATM102, to transport the consumable part 208 between a replacement station108 and the loadlock chamber 110. The ring carrier fixture may be in theform of a carrier plate 1104. In some embodiments, the carrier plate1104 is made of carbon fiber material. The carbon fiber is light inweight and is ideal for use as it minimizes increase in the payload onthe finger assembly 705. The carbon fiber also provides sufficientstiffness to minimize deflection.

In some embodiments, the carrier plate 1104 is configured to betriangular in shape and is sized such that distance of the apexes (1104a, 1104 b, 1104 c) from a center 1104 m of the carrier plate 1104 is atleast equal to a radius of the consumable part 208. The triangular shapedesign of the carrier plate has many advantages. For example, thetriangular shape of the carrier plate allows the carrier plate 1104 withthe consumable part 208 received thereon, to be moved easily into andout of the loadlock chamber 110 without interfering with any componentsdefined within the loadlock chamber 110. This is possible as the apexes1104 a-1104 c enable the carrier plate 1104 to easily move between thefinger assemblies 902, for example, defined in the loadlock chamber 110while maintaining sufficient clearance. Further, as the apexes 1104a-1104 c are distributed equidistant from the center of gravity 1104 mdefined in the center of the triangular shaped carrier plate 1104, theconsumable part 208 can be properly supported at the apexes withoutproviding undue stress on any one side.

In one embodiment, the carrier plate 1104 is stored within thereplacement station 108 and retrieved by the robot 103 of the ATM 102using the end effector mechanism 70. In some embodiments, the endeffector mechanism 70 provided in the robot 103 of the ATM 102 may beconfigured to provide sufficient suction force when picking the carrierplate 1104 so that the carrier plate 1104 can be securely received andcarried on the end effector mechanism 70. In some embodiments, differentcarrier plates 1104 may be used to separately transport used and newconsumable parts. For example, a first carrier plate may be used totransport used consumable part and a second carrier plate may be used totransport new consumable part.

Using the end effector mechanism 70 with a ring carrier in the form ofcarrier plate 1104, has its advantages. For example, the existing endeffector mechanism 70 may be used and there is no need to re-design theexisting end effector mechanism 70. Re-design of the end effectormechanism 70 to support a ring may require a shape change that mayinterfere with wafer supports or other hardware at various waferhand-off locations. Such clearance issues may be addressed by changingrobot arm trajectories of the robot in the ATM, but trajectory changesmay increase wafer transfer times reducing system throughput. Thealternative use of a ring carrier allows the use of current trajectoriesfor wafer transfer without any changes to wafer through-put. Asnecessary, ring transfer specific trajectories can be defined leavingthe wafer transfer trajectories unchanged. Further, it has less impacton the existing firmware. In some embodiments, the ring carrier (in theform of carrier plate 1104) may increase the payload which maycontribute to deflection from a ring transfer plane. However, by usingappropriate light-weight material, such as carbon fiber, for the ringcarrier, any increase in the pay load and resulting deflection may besubstantially minimized.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a side and top view of an example endeffector mechanism 70 that is used with a ring carrier 1104 fortransferring consumable part 208 into the loadlock chamber 110, in someembodiments. The end effector mechanism 70 includes a wrist plate 701that is attachable to the robot 103 at one end and to a mounting armset703 at the opposite end. A finger assembly 705 is attached to a secondend of the mounting armset 703. The finger assembly 705 includes a pairof fingers 707 extending outward from the mounting armset 703. Thefinger assembly 705 has a proximal end 705 a proximal to the mountingarmset 703. A distal end 705 b of the finger assembly 705 is defined atfinger tips 707 a of the pair of the fingers 707. A first carriercontact pad 721 a is disposed on a top surface of the finger assembly705 proximal to a center of a fork 723 that is formed at a base of thefingers 707. A second pair of carrier contact pads 721 b is disposed onthe top surface of the finger assembly 705 and located proximal to thedistal end (705 b) of the finger assembly 705. A carrier plate 1104 issupported on the finger assembly 705 using the first carrier contact pad721 a and the second pair of carrier contact pads 721 b. The fingerassembly 705 is also configured to transport a substrate or wafer. Itshould be noted that, in some embodiments, the existing end effectormechanism 70 with the ring carrier (in the form of carrier plate 1104)may only be used with the robot of the ATM 102 as it is convenient tostore and retrieve the carrier plate 1104 from the replacement station108 and there is no need to re-engineer any of the other modules forstoring the carrier plate 1104. The carrier plate 1104 includes aconsumable contact pad 708 disposed at each of the apexes 1104 a-1104 cat a distance from the center of the carrier plate 1104 that is outsidea radius of the substrate. In some embodiments, the distance of theconsumable contact pads 708 from the center of the carrier plate 1104 isat least a radius length of the consumable part 208, so as to provide anon-skid contact surface for the consumable part, when received on theapexes of the carrier plate 1104. As discussed with reference to theembodiments illustrated in FIGS. 7A-7D, the consumable contact pads 708may be provided at different distance from the apexes of the carrierplate 1104. In some embodiments, each apex may include a pair ofconsumable contact pads 708 disposed equidistant from each of the apexes1104 a-1104 c. In alternate embodiments, a plurality of consumablecontact pads 708 may be defined at different distances from each of theapexes 1104 a-1104 c so as to allow the contact pads to provide reliablecontact surface for the consumable part 208 with different bottomsurface profiles.

In addition to including a modified end effector mechanism 700 within arobot of the ATM 102 and/or the VTM 104, additional modifications may beprovided within the loadlock chamber 110 to allow the consumable part tobe received therein during a replacement operation.

FIGS. 10A-10F provide various views and details of a support mechanismengaged within the loadlock chamber 110 to receive and support theconsumable part, in some embodiments. FIG. 10A illustrates an overheadview of a simplified loadlock chamber 110 that is interfaced between anATM 102 and VTM 104 within a cluster tool assembly 100 in which aconsumable part 208 needs to be replaced, in one embodiment. Theloadlock chamber 110 includes a support mechanism 901 for receiving theconsumable part 208. The support mechanism 901 includes a plurality offinger assemblies 902 that provide the contact surface onto which theconsumable part is received. The finger assemblies 902 are disposed atfixed locations within the loadlock chamber 110. In some embodiments,the finger assemblies 902 are configured to have mutually exclusivecontact points for receiving wafers and consumable parts to avoid crosscontamination, as will be described in the following paragraphs. Itshould be noted that the contact points may be at different heights orradial distances to accomplish exclusive separation within expectedwafer or consumable part position error.

FIG. 10B illustrates an existing finger assembly 903 within the loadlockchamber 110 that was designed for receiving a wafer. Each fingerassembly 903 included a top support finger 903 a and a bottom supportfinger 903 b. As shown, a top surface of both the top support finger 903a and the bottom support finger 903 b was designed to include a portionthat is inclined downward 911. A contact pad 912 was defined proximal toa tip of the top and the bottom support fingers 903 a, 903 b, to providea non-skid contact surface for the wafer, when received. A spacer blockis defined to support the top and bottom support fingers 903 a, 903 b. Athickness the spacer block is designed to provide sufficient clearancefor receiving a wafer. However, the clearance provided by the spacerblock of FIG. 10B is not sufficient for receiving a consumable part,which has a larger radius than the wafer. In order to accommodate theconsumable part, the finger assembly in the loadlock chamber isre-designed so as to avoid interference with components of the loadlockchamber when receiving the consumable part.

FIG. 10C illustrates an example re-designed finger assembly 902 of asupport mechanism 901 that is used within the loadlock chamber 110 toenable a consumable part to be received thereon, in one embodiment ofthe invention. The support mechanism 901 includes a plurality of fingerassemblies 902. In one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10A, the supportmechanism includes three finger assemblies distributed equidistant fromone another along a circumference of a circle. Each of the plurality offinger assemblies 902 includes a top support finger 902 a and a bottomsupport finger 902 b. A top surface of the bottom support finger 902 b,in one embodiment, is designed to include an indent 908 proximal to asecond end of the bottom support finger 902 b while a spacer block isdisposed between the top support finger 902 a and the bottom supportfinger 902 b at a first end. In order to fully accommodate theconsumable part, the spacer block 905 is re-designed to providesufficient clearance to allow the consumable part 208 to be fullyreceived on the finger assembly 902. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 10C, the spacer block 905 is shown to be moved farther out from thecenter of the loadlock chamber 110, closer to a sidewall of the loadlockchamber 110 so as to not interfere with a transfer path of theconsumable part. A second spacer block 905″ may be disposed below thebottom support finger 902 b at the first end and be of same size,thicker or thinner than the re-designed spacer block 905. In someembodiments, instead of providing a spacer block 905, the fingerassembly could include a finger support for supporting the top supportfinger and the bottom support finger 902 b while providing a gapthere-between. Additionally, in one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10C,the bottom support finger 902 b in each finger assembly 902 within theloadlock chamber 110 is re-designed to include an indent 908 on a topsurface at a distance that is equal to at least a radius of a consumablepart. A size of the indent 908, in one embodiment, is designed to be atleast a width of the consumable part. One or more contact pads aredefined on the surface of the finger assemblies 902 to provide anon-skid contact support surface for the wafer as well as the consumablepart 208, when received. For example, a substrate contact pad 904 isdisposed on a top surface of the top and the bottom support fingers 902a, 902 b, at the second end of the finger assembly that is proximal to atip of the top and bottom support fingers 902 a, 902 b. In someembodiment, the substrate contact pads 904 are defined at a distancefrom a center of the support mechanism that is equal to a radius of awafer so as to provide contact support surface for the wafer, whenreceived. Further, consumable contact pads 906 are defined in the indent908 of the bottom support finger 902 b to provide a contact support forthe consumable part 208. Based on a bottom surface profile of theconsumable part, additional consumable contact pads 906 may be definedin the indent 908.

In some embodiments, the substrate contact pads 904 at the top supportfinger 902 a may be used to receive the wafer while the consumablecontact pad within the indent may be used to receive the consumablepart. In alternate embodiments, the top support finger 902 a may includethe indent 908 with a consumable contact pad 906 for receiving theconsumable part 208, while the substrate contact pad 904 on the surfaceof the bottom support finger 902 b may be used to receive the wafer. Inan alternate embodiment, the indent 908 may be provided in both the topand the bottom support fingers 902 a, 902 b. In this embodiment, boththe top and the bottom support fingers 902 a, 902 b are configured toreceive the consumable part 208 and the wafer. It should be noted thatthe consumable part 208 and the wafer are not received on the fingerassembly at the same time. In some implementations, it may however bepossible to receive the consumable part and the wafer simultaneously byallowing the consumable part to be received at the bottom supportfingers 902 b while using the top support fingers 902 a to receive thewafer or vice versa. In such embodiments, the design positions of thewafer contact pads and the consumable contacts pads is such that thecontact surface for receiving the consumable part 208 is kept separatefrom the contact surface that is used for receiving the wafer to avoidcross-contamination. It should be noted that the wafer contact padlocations are defined such that a wafer received at an extreme ofallowed position error will not contact the consumable contact pads.Similarly, the consumable part received at the extreme of allowedposition error shall not contact the wafer contact pads. The separationof the contact receiving surfaces is to avoid cross-contamination of thewafer, when received on the finger assembly. In some embodiments,instead of using distinct contact pads, a ring-shaped contact structuremay be disposed in the indent 908 defined in the bottom support fingers902 b and/or the top support fingers 902 a. The ring-shaped contactstructure may be made of elastomer material and could be an O-ring. Thecontact surface provided by the ring-shaped contact structure spans alarger range of the consumable part radius.

A consumable part, such as an edge ring, disposed close to the waferwithin a process module, is exposed to the harsh processing conditionsthat the wafer is exposed to within the process module. As a result,some of the processing chemicals may have settled on the surface of theconsumable part as contaminants. When the consumable part is to bereplaced in the process module, the used consumable part with thecontaminants is removed from the process module and received into theloadlock chamber 110 and the new consumable part is moved from theloadlock chamber 110 to the process module. As the loadlock chamber 110is used to move both the consumable part and the wafer into and out ofthe process modules, if the contact support surface is common forreceiving both the consumable part and the wafer, there is a highlikelihood that the contaminants from the used consumable part maycontaminate the surface of the wafer. In order to prevent suchcontamination from occurring, one solution is to use separate loadlockchambers 110 to separately move the wafer and the consumable part. Thisarrangement may be viable but may severely affect the wafer throughputas only one of the two loadlock chambers 110 will be available formoving the wafer.

In order to maintain the wafer throughput and avoid potential wafercontamination, an alternate solution is to allow the available loadlockchambers 110 within the cluster tool assembly 100 to be used to move thenew and used consumable parts 208 as well as the pre-processed andprocessed wafers, in one embodiment. For instance, in one embodiment,the top and the bottom support fingers 902 a, 902 b may provide separatereceiving areas for the consumable part and the wafer. In suchembodiment, the plurality of contact pads provided at the fingerassemblies allows the contact surface of the wafer to be kept at aseparate height from the contact surface of the consumable part. In thecase of a consumable part that is in the form of a ring (i.e., edgering), by maintaining the contact surface of the ring at a differentheight from the wafer contact surface, wafer surface contamination canbe avoided or minimized.

FIG. 10D illustrates an expanded view of one such finger assembly 902within the loadlock chamber 110 that is used to support both the waferand the consumable part, in one embodiment. An indent 908 is defined ona top surface of the bottom support finger 902 b. One or more consumablecontact pads 906 are disposed in the indent 908 for receiving theconsumable part 208 and one or more substrate contact pads 904 aredisposed near a tip of the support fingers 902 a, 902 b for receivingthe wafer. On the bottom support finger 902 b, the consumable contactpads 906 for receiving the consumable part, in one embodiment, aredisposed at a distance from a center of the support mechanism that is atleast equal to a radius of the consumable part 208 and the substratecontact pads 904 for receiving the wafer are disposed at a distance fromthe center of the support mechanism that is equal to at least the radiusof the wafer. The consumable contact pads 906 disposed in the indent 908of the plurality of finger assemblies 902 define a ring receiving plane913 b for receiving the consumable part 208, and the substrate contactpads 904 disposed on the finger assemblies 902 define a wafer receivingplane 913 for receiving the wafer. The indent 908 allows the ringreceiving plane 913 b to be disposed at a different height than thewafer receiving plane 913 a, separating the contact support surface forthe wafer from that of the consumable part. This separation in thecontact support surface is designed to protect the surface of the waferfrom contamination by preventing the wafer from coming in contact withany portion of the contact support surface used for receiving theconsumable part. In one embodiment, the ring receiving plane 913 b is ata lower height (h₁) than the wafer receiving plane 913 a (h₂) (i.e.,height h₁<h₂). In one embodiment, the difference between h₂ and h₁ is atleast greater than the height of the consumable part 208. In anotherembodiment, height h₁>h₂, such that the wafer is received at a lowerheight and the consumable part is received at a higher height whileseparating the wafer receiving surface from the consumable partreceiving surface.

Of course, the finger assembly design illustrated in FIGS. 10C and 10Dis one example of keeping the contact surface of the wafer and theconsumable part separate. Other designs may be employed including thefinger assembly design where the height h₁>h₂. In this design, a cut-outmay be defined at the tips on a top surface of the support fingers 902a, 902 b. Surface formed by the cut-out may be used to receive thesubstrate contact pads 904 for supporting a wafer while a consumablepart may be received on the consumable contact pads 906 defined in anindent 908 at the top surface of the bottom support finger 902 b. In oneembodiment, the cut-out may be formed on the top and/or bottom supportfingers 902 a, 902 b such that it defines a wafer receiving surface forreceiving the wafer that is at least at a distance from the center ofthe support mechanism 901 that is equal to a radius of the wafer andsubstrate contact pads 904 may be provided thereon for providing areliable contact support surface for the wafer. Similarly, consumablecontact pads provided in an indent 908 defined in the top surface of thesupport fingers 902 a, 902 b, provide the contact support surface forthe consumable part.

FIGS. 10E and 10F illustrate example airlock chambers before and afterre-designing of the support mechanism 901, in some embodiments. Thesupport mechanism 901 includes a plurality of finger assemblies thathave been re-designed to accommodate transporting of the consumable partas well as the wafer. The re-designed finger assemblies provide asimple, easy and cost effective solution as it enables the consumablepart 208 to be received into the loadlock chamber 110 without having tore-design the loadlock chamber 110 completely. As illustrated in FIG.10E, in order to fully receive a consumable part 208 on the bottomsupport finger 902 b of the finger assembly within the support mechanism901, the spacer block 905′ has to be re-designed to be moved out of thetransfer path of the consumable part. The existing design shown in FIG.10E shows a spacer block 905′ that interferes when receiving theconsumable part on the bottom support finger 902 b. FIG. 10F illustratesan example embodiment wherein a re-designed spacer block 905 is engaged.The re-designed spacer block 905 is shown to be moved farther from theairlock center, closer to the sidewall. As mentioned earlier, the topand the bottom support fingers may be supported and separated by there-designed spacer block 905, or alternately by a finger support (notshown) that provides sufficient clearance for allowing the consumablepart to be fully received on the bottom support finger.

In order to fully receive the consumable part 208 on a top supportfinger 902 a, there has to be sufficient vertical clearance so as toavoid interference caused by the inside edge radius of the loadlockchamber 110 and such interference may be experienced when moving theconsumable part into and out of the loadlock chamber 110. The fingerassemblies are designed to take this limitation into consideration byproviding at least a minimal clearance between an “exclusion zone” ofthe consumable part and the upper and lower slot corners of the loadlockchamber. The exclusion zone, as used in this application, refers to across-section of the largest consumable part design (e.g., outsidediameter and height) and a perimeter offset representing a stack up oftolerances. The tolerance stack up includes position error effects dueto leveling, end effector deflection, robot arm trajectory, robotteaching and other tolerance contributors. The upper and lower slotcorners are defined as respective areas over an edge of the top and thebottom support fingers of the support mechanism within the loadlockchamber where the consumable part is received. In some embodiments, theminimal clearance defined between the exclusion zone and the slot corneris between about 0.01″ to about 0.03″. In other embodiments, the minimalclearance is about 0.025″.

The finger assemblies 902 are designed such that there is at least aminimal nominal clearance between the consumable part received on thefinger assemblies and a sidewall 110 a of the loadlock chamber 110. Insome embodiments, the minimal nominal clearance is designed to at leastbe between about 5 mm to about 6 mm. In other embodiments, the minimalclearance is about 5.4 mm. In some embodiments, the minimal nominalclearance to the sides of the loadlock chamber 110 is defined so as toaccount for consumable part misplacement or position offset that can becorrected by the VTM robot using the dynamic alignment input.

Further, a height of the spacer block 905 in the finger assemblies 902should be defined so as to provide sufficient vertical clearance betweenthe top and the bottom support fingers 902 a, 902 b, to allow theconsumable part received on the bottom support finger 902 b to be movedinto and out of the loadlock chamber 110 without any interference. Insome embodiments, the spacer blocks 905 in the finger assemblies 902 aredesigned so as to provide a minimal gap between a top surface of theconsumable part received on the bottom support finger 902 b and a bottomsurface of the top support finger 902 a to define a ring transfer planefor moving the consumable part along. In some embodiments, the minimalgap is between about 4 mm and 5 mm. In some embodiments, the verticalclearance defined by the gap is about 4.6 mm. In some embodiments, thevertical clearance between the top support finger and the bottom supportfinger is designed to provide at least a minimum clearance of about 2 mmto about 3 mm above and below the consumable part when being transferredinto and out of the loadlock chamber 110. In another embodiment, thevertical clearance between the top support finger and the bottom supportfinger is designed to be at least about 2.3 mm above and below theconsumable part, to enable transfer. In some embodiments, the verticalclearance is defined to take into account any payload deflection thatexists at the end effector mechanism during transfer.

In one embodiment, a high level operation for replacing a consumablepart within a cluster tool assembly 100 will now be discussed. Asdescribed with reference to FIGS. 3 and 3A, the cluster tool assembly100 includes one or more load ports to which a wafer loader 115 or areplacement station 108 is permanently or temporarily mounted, an ATMwith a first robot for moving the consumable part and the wafer, aloadlock chamber, a VTM with a second robot, and one or more processmodules. The consumable part is disposed in the process module and mayneed to be replaced periodically so that wafer processing can beefficiently effectuated.

In one embodiment, when the consumable part needs to be replaced in aprocess module, all the process modules integrated with the VTM arebrought to an idle state. This means that no wafers are in the clustertool assembly except where a closed wafer loader is engaged. At leastone load port at the ATM is kept free for receiving the replacementstation 108, if the replacement station is temporarily mounted. In thisembodiment, the cluster tool assembly 100 is not set for simultaneoushandling of wafer processing and replacement of the consumable part. Inan alternate embodiment, the cluster tool assembly may be configured tosimultaneously handle both the replacement of the consumable part andwafer processing. In such embodiment, access to the various modules iscoordinated to allow efficient movement of the consumable part and thewafer.

In one embodiment, the replacement station 108 with the replacementconsumable part is mounted to the free load port within the cluster toolassembly 100. In one embodiment, the mounting is done manually. In analternate embodiment, the mounting is done using a robot. In theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 3A, a FOUP type replacement station maybe delivered in an automated manner using an Overhead Hoist Transfer(OHT) or Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV), which may be part of anAutomated Material Handling System (AMHS). In one embodiment, the AMHSis installed in a host fabrication facility. The AMHS, in someembodiments, may include an automated stocker where the FOUP typereplacement station and/or the wafer loader are stored. The AMHS mayinclude tracking software to guide the OHT or the AGV to the appropriatereplacement station or the wafer loader, so that the appropriatereplacement station or the wafer loader may be retrieved from thestocker and mounted to a free load port within the cluster toolassembly. The OHT or the AGV, in some embodiments, may be equipped withradio frequency identifier (RFID) tag readers or barcode readers topinpoint the location of the replacement station or the wafer loaderwithin the stocker of the AMHS. In some embodiments, the stocker mayinclude rows of replacement stations and/or wafer loaders. In suchembodiments, the software may guide the OHT or the AGV to theappropriate row and the barcode readers or RFID tag readers may be usedto identify specific replacement station or the wafer loader to retrievefrom the row. In one example, the OHT or the AGV may therefore retrievethe replacement station and automatically mount it to a free load portdefined in a first side of the ATM of the cluster tool assembly.

Upon mounting the replacement station 108, a transfer sequence isinitiated on a user interface of a computer that is communicativelyconnected to the cluster tool assembly. The transfer sequence causes thereplacement station 108 to be loaded to the cluster tool assembly. Insome embodiment, upon loading the replacement station, a consumable partmapping is done by the ATM robot 103. The mapping, in some embodiments,may be to provide dynamic alignment input so that the consumable partcan be aligned when moved into the loadlock chamber. In otherembodiments, the mapping may be used to determine presence of theconsumable part in each slot.

Simultaneously or sequentially, the VTM robot 105 removes the usedconsumable part from a process module 112 in the cluster tool assembly100 and transfers the used consumable part 208 to the loadlock chamber110. The VTM robot 105 moves the consumable part 208 using planartransfer by coordinating lift pin motion within the process module 112.More information on the lift pin mechanism for removing the consumablepart from the process module was discussed with reference to FIG. 4. TheVTM robot 105 places the used consumable part 208 in the bottom supportfinger 902 b of the finger assemblies 902. In some embodiments, both thetop and the bottom support fingers 902 a, 902 b may be used to transportused or new consumable part 208. In one embodiment, the bottom supportfinger 902 b may be used to only receive the used consumable part 208and the top support finger 902 a may be used to only receive the newconsumable part 208, or vice versa. In other embodiments, the receivingof the used and new consumable parts are not restricted to particularone of the support fingers but may be received on any one of the top orthe bottom support fingers 902 a, 902 b. The dynamic alignment is activein the loadlock chamber 110 during the replacement of the consumablepart 208.

Once the used consumable part 208 is placed on the support mechanism 901of the loadlock chamber 110, the airlocks are vented to bring theloadlock chamber 110 to ambient condition. The ATM robot 103 is thenactivated to remove the consumable part 208 from the loadlock chamber110 and transfer it to the replacement station 108. In one embodiment,this may include the ATM robot 103 to retrieve the ring carrier (i.e.,carrier plate) 1104 from the replacement station 108 and use it forretrieving the used consumable part from the loadlock chamber 110. TheATM robot 103 then picks the new consumable part 208 from thereplacement station 108 and transfers it to the loadlock chamber 110.After receiving the new consumable part 208, the loadlock chamber 110 ispumped to vacuum. In order to pump the loadlock chamber 110 to vacuum,the loadlock chamber 110 may, in one embodiment, be coupled to a pumpthrough a vacuum control module (not shown) that interfaces with acontroller. The controller is used to coordinate action of the pump soas to allow the loadlock chamber 110 to be pumped to vacuum when the newconsumable part 208 is to be moved through the VTM 104 into the processmodule 112. Once the loadlock chamber 110 is set to vacuum state, theVTM robot 105 is activated to pick the consumable part 208 from theloadlock chamber 110 and transport it to the process module 112. In oneembodiment, access to the loadlock chamber 110 is controlled through agate valve that interfaces between the VTM 104 and the loadlock chamber110. Similarly, access to the process module 112 through the VTM 104 maybe controlled through a second gate valve, such as an isolation valve,as discussed with reference to FIG. 5C. The second gate valve may beoperated using a sensor mechanism. As the dynamic alignment is activeduring the replacement of the consumable part 208, when the VTM robot105 picks the consumable part 208 from the loadlock chamber 110, itpicks the consumable part 208 with the dynamic alignment correction andplaces it into the process module 112. The lift pin mechanism in theprocess module 112 extends the lift pins to receive the consumable part208, positions the consumable part 208 in installed state, and thenretracts the lift pins inside a housing (e.g., lift pin housing). In oneembodiment, replacement of the consumable parts 208 in more than oneprocess module 112-120 (alternately termed “process chamber”) may behandled sequentially one at a time, using this process.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example replacement station 108 that is used tostore new and used consumable parts 208, in one embodiment. In oneembodiment, the replacement station 108 may be similar in structure to awafer loader and include a part buffer 224 with a plurality ofcompartments 207 to store the consumable part 208. In one embodiment,the part buffer includes a “clean” or “new” consumable part section 1206for receiving and storing new consumable parts 208, and a “dirty” or“worn” consumable part section 1208 for receiving and storing used andworn, possibly contaminated consumable part 208. A separator plate 1202may be provided in the replacement station 108 to separate the cleanconsumable part section 1206 and the dirty consumable part section 1208.In one embodiment, a ring carrier in the form of carrier plate 1104 maybe stored in a housing provided within the replacement station. In oneembodiment, the housing for the carrier plate 1104 may be providedwithin the clean or new consumable part section 1206. The housing forthe carrier plate 1104 may be provided at the bottom, at the top oranywhere in-between the bottom and the top of the clean or newconsumable part section 1206. In an alternate embodiment, the carrierplate 1104 may be housed in the dirty or worn consumable part section1208. The housing for the carrier plate 1104 may be provided at thebottom, at the top or anywhere in-between the bottom and the top of thedirty or worn consumable part section 1208. In some embodiments, thereplacement station 108 may house two carrier plates 1104—one within theclean or new consumable part section 1206 and the other within the dirtyor worn consumable part section 1208, so that the new and the usedconsumable parts may be separately transferred between the replacementstation and the loadlock chamber 110. In alternate embodiments, insteadof or in addition to a replacement station 108, one or more sections maybe defined within the ATM 102 to store used and new consumable parts. Insuch embodiments, the consumable parts may be delivered and removed fromthe ATM 102 using the replacement station 108 and the robot in the ATM102 or with other means of delivery and removal.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example slot view into a process module in whicha consumable part is being received, in one embodiment. The consumablepart is received along a ring transfer plane (RTP) 1301 that is locatedabove a set of chamber interface pins 1308 within the process module112, for example. In some embodiments, the RTP 1301 is defined to beabove the chamber interface pins (CIPs) 1308. In certain embodiments,the height of the consumable part above a top surface of anelectrostatic chuck (ESC) that is disposed in the process module 112, isdefined to allow sufficient clearance for the consumable part to moveinto and out of the process module 112 without any interference. In suchembodiments, the clearance ensures that the consumable part, the endeffector mechanism with the armset is able to fit through the slotopening of the process module 112. Since the slot opening is designedfor wafer transfers, the consumable part size may be limited by the slotsize. When a wider consumable part is to be transferred, a segmentedconsumable part may be used to fit into the existing slot opening of theprocess module 112 instead of redesigning the slot opening. In specificexamples, a relative height of the ESC biases the consumable part towardthe top of the slot. Due to the specific size of the slot corner radius,there may be a trade-off between consumable part height and diameter. Toensure sufficient clearances are found all around, a tolerance zone maybe defined around the consumable part and robot to represent thecombined volume during transfer. The tolerance zone will have to takeinto account load deflection effects, robot arm trajectory error,leveling error effects, and other factors. In some embodiments, theclearances above, below and to the sides of the nominal ring transferpath can be as little as a few millimeters or less.

In some embodiments, the RTP is different from the wafer transfer plane(WTP). In such embodiments, the WTP is defined to be above the CIPs 1308and the RTP, when the wafer is being transferred into and out of theprocess module 112. In some embodiments, a minimum clearance is definedbetween the exclusion zone 1304 of the consumable part 208 and the innercorner radius 1306 of an opening into the process module 112 throughwhich the wafer and the consumable part are transported. In someembodiments, the minimum clearance may be a few millimeters indimension. This minimal clearance allows the consumable part to be movedinto and out of the process module 112 without any part of the processmodule 112 interfering in the transfer of the consumable part.

The various embodiments have been described defining an end effectormechanism employed within robots of an ATM 102 and VTM 104 that are usedto transport a wafer to also transport a consumable part. In someembodiments, the end effector mechanism is re-designed so that thefinger assembly extends beyond the edge of a wafer so as to allowsupport of the consumable part. In alternate embodiments, an existingend effector mechanism is used to transport the consumable part. In suchembodiments, an intermediate fixture, in the form of a ring carrier, isused temporarily, during consumable part transfer to support theconsumable part, as the existing end effector mechanism is not designedto support the consumable part. The finger assemblies within theloadlock chamber are re-designed to support the consumable part. There-designed end effector mechanism and the finger assembly have aplurality of contact pads to define mutually exclusive contact pointsfor wafers and consumable parts to avoid cross contamination. Thecontact pads (consumable contact pads, wafer contact pads) may bedesigned so as to provide contact points at different heights or radialdistances to accomplish exclusive separation within expected wafer orconsumable part position error.

The consumable part may oftentimes exceed a diameter, thickness, andweight of a wafer. Therefore, addition of consumable part transfer totools that are not initially designed for such transfer is limited byclearances within the existing hardware. Additional payload induceddeflection reduces the clearances further. So, in order to accommodatethe increase in payload and reduce deflection, the end effectormechanism may be made of higher stiffness materials, such as ceramics,to limit increase in deflection or thickness, while reducing totalpayload on the robot using the re-designed end effector mechanism.Various contact pads (wafer, consumable contact pads) are defined on thesurface of the finger assembly within the end effector mechanism tosupport the consumable part within expected positional error ranges andpossibly with varied bottom surface profiles. The same alignment inputsused for centering the wafers may also be used to position and centerthe consumable part. The consumable parts may be delivered to andremoved from the cluster tool assembly via a standard wafer FOUP loadport defined in the ATM. A pod used for delivering and removingconsumable part, is designed to be similar to the FOUP design used fordelivering wafers. The pod can be part of a replacement station that canbe temporarily mounted to the load port of the ATM manually or by anautomated system, such as an overhead track FOUP delivery system. Thistemporary mounting allows replacement of the consumable part withoutdisplacing or consuming other wafer storage or processing hardware onthe ATM (i.e., wafer buffers, cool stations, integrated metrology,etc.). In alternative embodiments, the consumable parts may be receivedinto the ATM via the replacement station, stored temporarily within theATM separate from the load port and retrieved when the consumable partneeds to be replaced. The various embodiments described herein providean efficient, cost-effective way of replacing the consumable part withina cluster tool assembly without breaking the vacuum seal, therebyallowing the cluster tool assembly to have a shorter downtime. Reduceddowntime of the cluster tool assembly would result in improved waferthroughput.

FIG. 13 shows a control module (also referred to as a “controller”) 220for controlling the cluster tool assembly described above. In oneembodiment, the controller 220 may include some example components, suchas a processor, memory and one or more interfaces. The controller 220may be employed to control devices in a cluster tool assembly 100 basedin part on sensed values. For example only, the controller 220 maycontrol one or more of valves 602 (including isolation valves 216, 216′of FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C), filter heaters 604, pumps 606 (including pump233), and other devices 608 based on the sensed values and other controlparameters. The controller 220 receives the sensed values from, forexample only, pressure manometers 610, flow meters 612, temperaturesensors 614, and/or other sensors 616. The controller 220 may also beemployed to control process conditions during precursor delivery anddeposition of a film. The controller 220 will typically include one ormore memory devices and one or more processors.

The controller 220 may control activities of the precursor deliverysystem and deposition apparatus. The controller 220 executes computerprograms including sets of instructions for controlling process timing,delivery system temperature, pressure differentials across the filters,valve positions, robots and end effectors, mixture of gases, chamberpressure, chamber temperature, wafer temperature, RF power levels, waferchuck or pedestal position, and other parameters of a particularprocess. The controller 220 may also monitor the pressure differentialand automatically switch vapor precursor delivery from one or more pathsto one or more other paths. Other computer programs stored on memorydevices associated with the controller 220 may be employed in someembodiments.

Typically there will be a user interface associated with the controller220. The user interface may include a display 618 (e.g. a display screenand/or graphical software displays of the apparatus and/or processconditions), and user input devices 620 such as pointing devices,keyboards, touch screens, microphones, etc.

Computer programs for controlling delivery of precursor, deposition andother processes in a process sequence can be written in any conventionalcomputer readable programming language: for example, assembly language,C, C++, Pascal, Fortran or others. Compiled object code or script isexecuted by the processor to perform the tasks identified in theprogram.

The control module (i.e., controller) parameters relate to processconditions such as, for example, filter pressure differentials, processgas composition and flow rates, temperature, pressure, plasma conditionssuch as RF power levels and the low frequency RF frequency, cooling gaspressure, and chamber wall temperature.

The system software may be designed or configured in many differentways. For example, various chamber component subroutines or controlobjects may be written to control operation of the chamber or processmodule components necessary to carry out the inventive depositionprocesses. Examples of programs or sections of programs for this purposeinclude substrate positioning code, process gas control code, pressurecontrol code, heater control code, plasma control code, lift mechanismcontrol code, robot position code, end effector position code and valveposition control code.

A substrate positioning program may include program code for controllingchamber components that are used to load the substrate onto a pedestalor chuck and to control the spacing between the substrate and otherparts of the chamber such as a gas inlet and/or target. A process gascontrol program may include code for controlling gas composition andflow rates and optionally for flowing gas into the chamber prior todeposition in order to stabilize the pressure in the chamber. A filtermonitoring program includes code comparing the measured differential(s)to predetermined value(s) and/or code for switching paths. A pressurecontrol program may include code for controlling the pressure in thechamber by regulating, e.g., a throttle valve in the exhaust system ofthe chamber. A heater control program may include code for controllingthe current to heating units for heating components in the precursordelivery system, the substrate and/or other portions of the system.Alternatively, the heater control program may control delivery of a heattransfer gas such as helium to the wafer chuck. The valve positioncontrol code may include code to control access to a process module orthe cluster tool assembly by controlling isolation valves that provideaccess to the process module or the cluster tool, for example. The liftmechanism control code may include code to activate the actuator driveto cause the actuators to move the lift pins, for example. The robotposition code may include code to manipulate the position of therobot(s) including manipulation of the robot to move along a lateral, avertical, or a radial axis, for example. The end effector position codemay include code to manipulate the position of the end effectorincluding manipulation of the robot to extend, contract, or move along alateral, a vertical or radial axis, for example.

Examples of sensors that may be monitored during deposition include, butare not limited to, mass flow control modules, pressure sensors such asthe pressure manometers 610, and thermocouples located in deliverysystem, the pedestal or chuck (e.g. the temperature sensors 614).Appropriately programmed feedback and control algorithms may be usedwith data from these sensors to maintain desired process conditions. Theforegoing describes implementation of embodiments of the invention in asingle or multi-chamber semiconductor processing tool.

Front Opening Ring Pod:

With the various embodiments discussed in relation to position ofreplacement station at different modules of a cluster tool assembly,finger assembly within a loadlock chamber and end effector mechanisms ofdifferent robots used inside the cluster tool assembly for moving theconsumable parts, attention will now be directed to details of a podthat is part of a replacement station used to supply new consumableparts to and removing old or damaged consumable parts from the clustertool assembly. In some embodiments, the consumable part may be an edgering. In alternate embodiments, the consumable part may be a focus ring,a dielectric ring, or any other consumable part that may be used in aprocess module and exposed to processing conditions within the processmodule. The consumable part may surround a substrate or portions of asubstrate received in the process module, surround a chuck or portionsof a chuck defined inside the process module, or any other consumablecomponent disposed in other portions of the process module and isexposed to the process conditions within the process module. Theconsumable part may be a single unit or may include a plurality ofparts. Alternately, the consumable part may include multiple rings. Theconsumable part may be made of quartz, ceramic, silicon, dielectricmaterial or coated with different materials. Due to the processingconditions in the process module, the edge ring may get worn out ordamaged and has to be replaced periodically in a prompt manner.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example replacement station 108 that engages apod for exchanging consumable part of a process module, in oneembodiment. The replacement station 108 may include a load port module1155 that interfaces with an opening to a module in a cluster toolassembly. For example, the load port module 1155 may be mounted (eitherpermanently or temporarily) to a process module 112 or a vacuum transfermodule (VTM) 104 or an atmospheric transfer module (ATM) 102 of thecluster tool assembly. The load port module 1155 acts as a dockingstation for a wafer loader 115 or a consumable part loader, and includesa load port to which the wafer loader 115 or the consumable part loadermay be coupled. In some embodiments, the consumable part loader issimilar in structure to the wafer loader 115 (e.g., a front openingunified pod (FOUP)), used for transferring wafers into and out of thecluster tool assembly, and is therefore also referred to herein-onwardsas front opening ring pod (or simply referred as a “ring pod”) 1000. Thering pod 1000 is used to transfer consumable parts 208, such as edgerings, into and out of the process module. An opening in the ring pod1000 (i.e., an envelope defined by a door frame of the ring pod) matchesto an opening defined in the load port so that the consumable part 208can be easily moved into and out of the cluster tool assembly.Structural details of the ring pod 1000 used in moving the consumablepart 208 into and out of the cluster tool assembly will be describedwith reference to FIGS. 15A through 21B.

FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate different views of the ring pod 1000 usedfor storing consumable parts, such as edge rings. As illustrated in FIG.15A, the ring pod 1000 includes a shell structure 1127 that provides ahousing to accommodate various parts of the ring pod 1000 used forreceiving and storing the consumable parts. The ring pod 1000 includes aflange 1121 disposed on a top surface of the shell structure 1127. Theflange 1121 may be engaged by an overhead transport (OHT) module fortransporting the ring pod 1000 to and from the load port of the loadport module 1155. The flange 1121 is similar in design to a flange foundin a FOUP and is therefore not discussed in detail. In addition to theflange 1121, the ring pod 1000 includes handles 1122 that are disposedon lateral sides of the ring pod 1000. The ring pod 1000 also includes adoor frame 1120 that defines an opening of the ring pod 1000. A window1125 is defined in a portion of a backside of the ring pod 1000 toprovide a visual of the interior of the ring pod 1000 so as to allow auser to visually determine the location of the consumable parts receivedin the ring pod 1000. In some embodiments, the window 1125 may be madeof Polycarbonate or other similar see-through material. The location andorientation of the window 1125 is provided only as an example and thatother location and/or orientation may also be considered.

FIG. 15B illustrates a frontal and bottom side view of the ring pod1000. In addition to the various parts defined with reference to FIG.15A, the ring pod 1000 also includes a base plate 1134 with variousautomated materials handling system (AMHS) and/or OHT interfaces. Forexample, the base plate 1134 may include a plurality of kinematic slots1124 distributed on an underside surface of the base plate 1134. Thekinematic slots 1124 are used for aligning the ring pod 1000 tocorresponding kinematic pins defined in the load port of the load portmodule 1155 to which the ring pod 1000 is coupled. The kinematic slots1124 may also be part of a dissipative path to ground defined from areceiving surface that receives the consumable part within the pod andthe kinematic pins of the load port. The kinematic pins in the load portare grounded. The dissipative path will be discussed in more detail withreference to FIGS. 17A and 17C. A door 1123 that fits into the doorframe 1120 is provided in the front side of the ring pod 1000 andincludes necessary hardware to engage, disengage and to secure theconsumable part, when received in the ring pod 1000. The door 1123 isoperable to provide access to the inside of the ring pod 1000 so as toallow a robot within the cluster tool assembly or within the ring pod1000 to transport the consumable part into and out of the ring pod 1000.A pair of conveyor rails 1133 is provided on the base plate 1134 of thering pod 1000 to allow manual alignment of the ring pod 1000 onto a padhandling system, such as a person guided vehicle (PGV), for example. Thehandles 1122 provided on the ring pod 1000 may be used for manualloading of the ring pod 1000 onto the PGV.

FIG. 16 provides a detailed representation of an inside of the ring pod1000 as viewed through a shell structure 1127. The shell structure 1127,in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 16, is represented as atransparent structure. In this embodiment, the transparent shellstructure 1127 provides a view of the inner structure of the ring pod1000. In such embodiment, there is no need for a separate window 1125for providing a visual of the inside of the ring pod 1000. In anotherembodiment, the shell structure 1127 may be opaque. In this embodiment,a window 1125 may be defined lengthwise on a portion of a side, such asa back side, of the ring pod 1000 to provide a visual of the inside ofthe ring pod 1000. The shell structure 1127 houses a consumable partholding structure, and provides stability to the different components ofthe consumable part holding structure. The consumable part holdingstructure includes a top plate 1132 that is oriented above a base plate1134, and a plurality of support columns 1129 extending between the baseplate 1134 and the top plate 1132 and distributed along outer perimeterof the base plate 1134. The plurality of support columns include aplurality of support fingers defined along a length of an inside surfaceof the support columns, for receiving the consumable parts 208. The baseplate 1134 further includes a plurality of carrier supports forreceiving a ring carrier 1104, which is used by an end effectormechanism of a robot to carry the consumable parts 208 to and from thering pod 1000. A pair of hard stop columns 1128 are disposed inside thehousing and disposed so as to be parallel to a pair of support columnsthat is disposed proximal to the back side of the base plate 1134. Insome embodiments, each hard stop column 1128 is disposed substantiallyperpendicular to a corresponding support column 1129 in the pair but isspaced apart from the support column 1129. The hard stop columns 1128are configured to provide radial constraint for securing a consumablepart 208, when received in the pod. The plurality of support columns1129 are held together using the top plate 1132, which provides therequired stability for the support columns 1129. The ring pod 1000 alsoincludes handles 1122 that are directly attached to the support columns1129 through the shell structure 1127, in one embodiment, and thesupport columns 1129 provide direct support to the handles 1122.

FIGS. 17A-17G illustrate details of support columns and retentionassembly 1135 that are provided inside a ring pod 1000 and used inreceiving and storing consumable parts 208 within the ring pod 1000, insome embodiments. FIG. 17A shows the basic structure of a ring pod 1000without the shell structure 1127 and the door assembly. The basicstructure includes a base plate 1134 oriented vertically opposite to atop plate 1132 and a plurality of support columns 1129 that extendbetween the top plate 1132 and the base plate 1134. The base plate 1134defines a bottom surface of the ring pod 1000 on which the supportcolumns are positioned in place, in some embodiments. The base plate1134 is defined by a front side, a back side and two lateral sides thatextend between the front side and the back side. In some embodiments thetwo lateral sides run substantially parallel to one another. Inalternate embodiments, depending on the consumable part that is beingstored and depending on the design of the ring pod 1000, the two lateralsides may be oriented differently with each other. The top plate 1132 isoriented opposite to the base plate 1134 and is anchored to an undersideof the top surface of the shell structure 1127.

The plurality of support columns, in some embodiments, includes twopairs of support columns 1129 that are disposed along the two lateralsides of the base plate 1134. It should be noted that the embodimentsare not restricted to two pairs of support columns but may includeadditional one or pairs of support columns 1129. The additional one orpairs of support columns may be disposed along the two lateral sides oralong the back side of the base plate 1134. Reverting to the embodimentwhere two pairs of support columns 1129 are disposed along the twolateral sides of the base plate 1134, a first support column 1129 a of afirst pair is disposed proximal to the front side of the base plate 1134and on a first lateral side of the base plate. A second support column1129 b of the first pair is disposed proximal to the front side of thebase plate 1134 and on a second lateral side of the base plate 1134,such that the first support column is oriented opposite to the secondsupport column of the first pair. A third support column 1129 c of asecond pair is disposed proximal to the back side of the base plate 1134and on the first lateral side of the base plate 1134. A fourth supportcolumn 1129 d of the second pair is disposed proximal to the back sideof the base plate 1134 and on the second lateral side of the base plate1134, such that the third support column is oriented opposite to thefourth support column of the second pair. The support columns 1129 a,1129 b, 1129 c and 1129 d extend from the base plate 1134 to the topplate 1132 and are distributed symmetrically around an outer perimeterof the ring pod 1000. The support columns 1129 a, 1129 b, 1129 c, 1129 dare each connected to the top plate 1132, which provides the support forthe support columns 1129 a, 1129 b, 1129 c and 1129 d. A top plate 1132is disposed above the base plate and separated by the first, second,third and fourth support columns (1129 a-1129 d).

In addition to the support columns 1129 a, 1129 b, 1129 c, 1129 d thebasic structure of the ring pod 1000 may include a pair of hard stopcolumns 1128. In one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 17A, a first hardstop column 1128 a in the pair of hard stop columns is disposed proximalto and oriented to be parallel to the third support column 1129 c of thesecond pair. Similarly, a second hard stop column 1128 b in the pair ofhard stop columns is disposed proximal to and oriented to be parallel tothe fourth column 1129 d of the second pair. In some embodiments, thefirst hard stop column 1128 a is located between the third supportcolumn 1129 c and the back side of the base plate 1134, and the secondhard stop column is located between the fourth support column 1129 d andthe back side of the base plate 1134. In this embodiment, each of thehard stop columns 1128 a, 1128 b is spaced apart from the respectivesupport column 1129 c, 1129 d, respectively. The hard stop columns 1128are oriented toward an inner region of the ring pod 1000 and aresubstantially perpendicular to an inside edge of the respective supportcolumn 1129 c, 1129 d of the second pair, in some embodiments. Thisorientation allows the hard stop columns 1128 to provide a radialconstraint so as to secure the consumable parts, when received insidethe ring pod 1000. It should be noted that more than a pair of hard stopcolumns 1128 may be included in the ring pod. In such embodiments, eachhard stop column 1128 may be disposed at an angle relative to therespective support columns 1129 so as to provide radial constraint, whenthe ring is pushed into position within the ring pod. In someembodiments, each of the support columns 1129 a, 1129 b, 1129 c, 1129 dare made of single piece of metal. In other embodiments, each of thesupport columns 1129 a, 1129 b, 1129 c, 1129 d are made of multiplepieces of metal, with each piece designed to snugly fit with anotherpiece. In some embodiments, the support columns 1129 a, 1129 b, 1129 c,1129 d are made of aluminum material. In some embodiments, to increaseresistance to corrosion and wear, the support columns 1129 a-1129 d maybe made of anodized aluminum or other corrosion resistant material.

In alternate embodiments, each lateral side of the base plate 1134 mayinclude a single support column 1129 disposed between the top plate 1132and the base plate 1134. In some embodiments, a first hard stop column1128 a may be integrated with a first support column 1129 disposed on afirst lateral side and a second hard stop column 1128 b may beintegrated with a second support column 1129 disposed on a secondlateral side. In some other embodiments, the first hard stop column 1128a may be located between the first support column 1129 and the back sideof the base plate 1134, and the second hard stop column 1128 b may belocated between the second support column 1129 and the back side of thebase plate 1134. In this embodiment, each of the hard stop columns 1128a, 1128 b is spaced apart from the respective first and second supportcolumns 1129, respectively.

The structure of the ring pod 1000 further includes a pair of handles1122 disposed on lateral sides of the ring pod 1000. In someembodiments, a first handle 1122 in the pair is attached to the firstsupport column 1129 a of the first pair and third support columns 1129 cof the second pair, both of which are disposed on the first lateral sideof the base plate 1134, through the shell structure 1127, using one ormore direct connects 1122 a. Similarly, a second handle 1122 is attachedto support column 1129 b of the first pair and a support column 1129 dof the second pair, both of which are disposed along the second lateralside of the base plate 1134, using one or more direct connects 1122 a.The direct connects 1122 a may, in some embodiments, be a screw, aclamp, a retention structure that allows the handle 1122 to directlyconnect to the corresponding support columns. The handles 1122, in someembodiments, are used for manual handling of the ring pod 1000.

A plurality of support fingers 1130 are disposed lengthwise of an insidesurface of each of the support columns (1129 a, 1129 b, 1129 c, 1129 d)in the first and the second pair. The support fingers 1130 extend towardan inner region of the ring pod 1000, so as to provide a support surfacefor receiving the consumable parts. In one embodiment illustrated inFIG. 17A, the shape and/or design of the support fingers 1130 disposedon the first pair of support columns 1129 a, 1129 b are similar to theshape and/or design of the support fingers disposed on the second pairof support columns 1129 c, 1129 d.

FIG. 17B shows an expanded view of the support fingers 1130 disposed onthe first and the second pairs of support columns (1129 a-1129 d). Insome embodiments, the support fingers 1130 are made of aluminum or othersimilar light weight material. In such embodiments, a support pad 1131is defined on a top surface of each support finger 1130. In someembodiments, the support pad 1131 may be made of a material, such asCarbon filled PolyEtherEtherKetone (PEEK), to provide a non-scratchsupport surface for a consumable part, when received on the supportfinger 1130. Carbon filled PEEK material is just one example and othermaterial that can provide the similar support functionality may also beused. The support pad 1131 is defined to provide a distinct supportsurface so that the consumable part, when received, does not touch themetal surface of the support fingers 1130. In one embodiment, a groovemay be defined on a top surface of each support finger 1130 and thesupport pad 1131 may be embedded into the groove such that a portion ofthe support pad 1131 extends beyond the top surface of the supportfinger 1130 to provide a distinct receiving surface for the consumablepart 208, as illustrated in FIG. 17B. In other embodiments, a rod or astrip or a layer made of PEEK or other material may be defined on aportion of the top surface of the support finger 1130 to define thesupport pad 1131. In such embodiments, the support pad may be defined soas to provide a raised surface that extends from a top surface of thesupport finger 1130 to provide a distinct support surface. FIG. 17Hillustrates a cross-sectional view of one such embodiment wherein astrip of support pad 1131 is disposed on a top surface of the supportfinger 1130. FIG. 17I illustrates a cross-sectional view of an alternateembodiment, wherein contour of the support pad disposed on a top surfaceof each support finger is pointed, instead of being flat. The differentembodiments of the support pad are provided as mere examples and otherdesigns of support pad may be contemplated. The support pad 1131provides a distinct line contact or surface contact that is separatefrom the top surface of the support finger 1130 so as to preventcontamination of the top surface of the support finger 1130. In anotherembodiment illustrated in FIG. 17J, the support fingers 1130 are made ofCarbon filled PEEK material. In this embodiment, there is no need for aseparate support pad 1131 to be defined on the support fingers 1130 asthe support fingers 1130 provide the non-scratch and non-slipperysurface for receiving the consumable part and there are no metalsurfaces for contamination to occur. It should be noted that thematerial used for the support fingers 1130 and support pad 1131 are justexamples and should not be considered limiting. Other materials may beused for the support fingers 1130 and support pad 1131 so long as theyprovide the functionality for which they support fingers 1130 and thesupport pad 1131 are designed.

FIG. 17C illustrates an alternate design for support columns that can beemployed within the ring pod 1000 for receiving and storing consumableparts, in one embodiment. The third and the fourth support columns 1129c and 1129 d of the second pair, in this embodiment, are disposed alonginner opposite corners of the base plate 1134. Consequently, the supportcolumns 1129 c, 1129 d are designed to have an angled contour matchingthe angled contours of the inner corners of the base plate 1134, asshown in FIG. 17C. The shape of the plurality of support fingers 1130 bdistributed on the inside surface of the third and fourth supportcolumns 1129 c, 1129 d of the second pair are different from the supportfingers 1130 that are distributed on the inside surface of the first andsecond support columns 1129 a, 1129 b of the first pair. As illustratedin FIG. 17C, the support fingers 1130 b are contoured to match thecontour of the third and fourth support columns 1129 c, 1129 d of thesecond pair of support columns.

FIG. 17D shows an expanded view of the support fingers 1130 b disposedon the inside surface of the third and fourth support columns 1129 c,1129 d of the second pair, in one embodiment. The support fingers 1130 bare, in some embodiments, made of metal, such as aluminum or othersimilar metal. To prevent corrosion, the support fingers 1130 may bemade of anodized aluminum or aluminum coated with Teflon, epoxy, orother similar materials that can prevent corrosion. Similar to thesupport fingers 1130 that are disposed on the first and second supportcolumns 1129 a, 1129 b of the first pair, each support finger 1130 b mayinclude a support pad 1131 defined on a top surface of the supportfinger 1130 b to provide a distinct support surface for the consumablepart 208, when received, so as to prevent the consumable part 208 fromcontacting the metal surface of the support fingers 1130 b. In otherembodiments, the support fingers 1130 b may be made of Carbon filledPEEK material. In such embodiments, separate support pads 1131 are notdefined on the support fingers 1130 b. The support fingers 1130, 1130 bprovide sufficient support surface for the consumable part 208 so as toprevent the consumable part from sliding out of its position on thesupport fingers 1130, 1130 b. In some embodiments, each of the first,second, third, fourth support columns (1129 a-1129 d) are made ofaluminum or other light weight material that are anodized or coated withcorrosion inhibiting material.

The ring pod 1000 includes a pair of hard stop columns 1128 a, 1128 b.However, instead of the hard stop columns 1128 being spaced apart fromthe respective support columns 1129 c, 1129 d of the second pair, asillustrated in FIG. 17A, each one of the pair of hard stop columns 1128a, 1128 b, is disposed adjacent to an inside edge of a respectivesupport columns of the second pair that is facing toward the back sideof the base plate 1134. For example, a first hard stop column 1128 a isdisposed adjacent to the third support column 1129 c of the second pairand the second hard stop column 1128 b is adjacent to the fourth supportcolumn 1129 d of the second pair. Further, the hard stop columns 1128,in one embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 17C and 17D, are oriented towardan inner region of the ring pod 1000 so as to be substantiallyperpendicular to the inside edge of the support columns 1129 c, 1129 dof the second pair so as to provide radial constraints for a consumablepart when it is received inside the ring pod 1000. In other embodiments,the hard stop columns 1128 a, 1128 b may be oriented in any angle inrelation to the inside edge of the support columns 1129 b so long as itis able to provide a radial constraint to the consumable part. In someembodiments, the first and the second hard stop columns 1128 a, 1128 bmay be affixed to the respective support columns 1129 c, 1129 d usingany fastening or connection options, such as connection tools,connection structures, connection mechanism, connecting elements, etc.In some embodiments, each of the hard stop columns 1128 a, 1128 b ismade of single piece or strip of material, such as Carbon filled PEEKmaterial, while each of the support columns 1129 a-1129 d are made ofaluminum. In some embodiments, the support columns 1129 a-d, supportfingers 1130, 1130 b, and other surfaces within the ring pod 1000 thatare made of metal and are exposed to the ambient environment within thering pod 1000, may have to be treated in order to prevent corrosion, anyother wear or damage. For example, any component of the ring pod 1000made of metal may get damaged due to exposure to processingchemicals/chemistries that are carried back by a damaged or wornconsumable part 208. To avoid such damage, the support columns (1129a-1129 d), support fingers (1130, 1130 b) and other surfaces of the ringpod 1000 that are made of metal may have to be treated, for example,with a coating of corrosion inhibiting material, such as Teflon, epoxy,etc. to prevent wear. Alternately, instead of metal, the support columns1129 a-1129 d, support fingers 1130, 1130 b may be made of anodizedaluminum.

The shell structure 1127 is configured to attach to an outer peripheryof the base plate 1134 of the ring pod 1000 and enclose the first andthe second pair of support columns 1129 a-1129 d, the top plate 1132,and first and second hard stop columns 1128 a, 1128 b. In someembodiments, the top plate 1132 may be a part of the shell structure1127. The shell structure includes an opening along the front side ofthe base plate 1134. The top plate 1132 is attached to an underside ofthe top surface of the shell structure 1127. The front opening of theshell structure is configured to mate with a door 1123,

FIGS. 17E-17G illustrate details of a door 1123 that is disposed on afront side of the ring pod 1000. The door 1123 has dimensions that matchthe dimensions of the opening of a load port. The door is configured tomate with a front opening of the shell structure 1127. The door 1123includes a retention assembly 1135 that is defined on an inside surfaceof the door 1123 and extends a length of the door 1123, as illustratedin FIG. 17E. The details of the retention assembly 1135 will bedescribed in detail with reference to an expanded view provided in FIGS.17F and 17G. FIG. 17F illustrates a view of a consumable part receivedwithin a slot defined in the retention assembly 1135, and FIG. 17Gillustrates an expanded view of the retention assembly 1135 identifyingthe different components.

Referring simultaneously to FIGS. 17F, 17G, the retention assembly 1135includes a plurality of components for securing and positioning theconsumable part 208 within the ring pod 1000. For example, the retentionassembly 1135 includes a clamp 1150, a spring mechanism 1151, and areceiving pad 1152. The clamp 1150 is a fixed unit that is attached toan inside surface of the door 1123. The clamp 1150 is used to secure thespring mechanism 1151 of the retention assembly 1135. In someembodiments, the clamp 1150 is made of aluminum. A pair of bumpers 1136is provided on either side of the receiving pad 1152. The bumpers 1136are used to define a radial limit to which the receiving pad 1152 can bemoved, when securing the consumable part 208 in place within the ringpod 1000. Additionally, the bumpers 1136 provide a radial limit forconsumable part movement within the pod 1000, when the door 1123 isclosed. In some embodiments, a first bumper 1136 from the pair isdefined adjacent to the clamp 1150 on a side of the clamp 1150 that isopposite to the side that is used to secure the spring mechanism 1151,as illustrated in FIG. 17F. A second bumper 1136 of the pair is disposedon the other side of the receiving pad 1152.

The spring mechanism 1151 is secured to the clamp 1150 on one end and tothe receiving pads 1152 on the other end and is designed to providesufficient spring loaded force to the receiving pad 1152, when the door1123 is closed. The spring mechanism 1151, in some embodiments, isdesigned such that the spring component that provides a spring loadedforce, is immediately behind each receiving pad 1152 of the retentionassembly 1135 so that when the door 1123 of the ring pod 1000 is closedand the spring mechanism 1151 is activated, the force from the activatedspring mechanism 1151 is directly applied to the receiving pads 1152causing the receiving pads 1152 to be pushed inward. This, in turn,pushes a consumable part 208 received thereon against the third and thefourth support columns 1129 c, 1129 d of the second pair. The first andthe second hard stop columns 1128 a, 1128 b that are adjacent to thethird and fourth support columns 1129 c, 1129 d, respectively, providethe radial constraint to hold the consumable parts 208 in place on theselect ones of the support fingers 1130, 1130 b. In some embodiments,the spring component of the spring mechanism 1151 is made of steelmaterial.

When a robot places the consumable part 208 in the ring pod 1000, theconsumable part 208 may not be positioned correctly. For example, theconsumable part 208 may not be positioned all the way back so that thesupport fingers 1130 can fully support the consumable part 208. In orderto prevent the consumable part 208 from moving around or slipping out ofits position when the ring pod 1000 is moved away from the cluster toolassembly, the various parts of the retention assembly 1135 are used topush the consumable part 208 toward the third, fourth support columns1129 c, 1129 d and the first and second hard stop columns 1128 a, 1128b, so that the consumable part 208 is held in place on the supportfingers 1130. The support fingers 1130 disposed on the support columns1129 a-1129 d provide the bottom constraint to hold the consumable partin place.

The receiving pad 1152 is designed so as to define a pocket forreceiving and aligning the consumable part 208 and holding it in place.In some embodiments, the receiving pad 1152 is shaped as an inverted“C”. The design of the receiving pad 1152 ensures that the consumablepart is held in place and does not slip out of the pocket. Further, thepocket in the receiving pad 1152 is sized to provide sufficientclearance to account for deflection and other potential tolerances, whenthe consumable part 208 is moved into the ring pod 1000 by a robot.Further, a width and height of the pocket is sufficient to accommodatethe thickness and height of the consumable part 208. Further, the sizeof the pocket in the receiving pad 1152, the support fingers 1130, 1130b, and the depth of the support pads 1131 are designed to accommodateconsumable parts 208 with different bottom surface profiles. In someembodiments, the receiving pads 1152 are made of Carbon filled PEEKmaterial. In some embodiments, sufficient clearance is provided betweenthe bumper 1136 and the consumable part 208, when the door 1123 isclosed and the consumable part 208 is pushed into place.

FIG. 18 illustrates an overhead view of an inside of the ring pod 1000when the consumable part 208 is received. The overhead view shows theconsumable part being received on support fingers 1130 that extendoutward from the first and the second pair of support columns (i.e.,1129 a-1129 d). The first and second hard stop columns 1128 a, 1128 bprovide the radial constraint for the consumable part 208 while ensuringthat the consumable part 208 is positioned in place. In someembodiments, the first and second hard stop columns 1128 a, 1128 b areoriented relative to the third and fourth support columns 1129 c, 1129d, respectively, such that an edge 1128 e of the first and second hardstop columns 11128 a, 1128 b, are facing inward relative to the outerperimeter of the base plate 1134. In other embodiments, the first andsecond hard stop columns 1128 a, 1128 b are oriented relative to thethird and fourth support columns 1129 c, 1129 d, respectively, such thata surface of the first and second hard stop columns 1128 a, 1128 b, arefacing inward relative to the outer perimeter of the base plate 1134.The surface of the hard stop columns 1128 a, 1128 b that is facinginward may be an edge surface, a flat side surface or a cylindricalsurface. The spring mechanism 1151 of the retention assembly 1135disposed along a length of the door 1123 provide sufficient radial forceto cause the ring receiving pad 1152 to push the consumable part 208toward the first and second hard stop columns 1128 a, 1128 b and thepair of bumpers 1136 ensure that the spring mechanism 1151 does notexert too much force on the consumable part 208 to distort or pop theconsumable part 208 out of its place on the support fingers 1130, 1130b.

A spacing control may be available at the door 1123 of the ring pod 1000for adjusting the spacing between the door frame 1120 and the opening ofthe shell structure 1127, when engaging (i.e., closing) or disengaging(i.e., opening) the door 1123, in one embodiment. The spacing of thedoor frame 1120 from the shell structure 1127, in one embodiment, may becontrolled by adjusting position of a pin that is disposed in a spine ineach corner of the door frame 1120, when the door is engaged.

The consumable part is moved between the ring pod 1000 and a processmodule within the cluster tool assembly using an end effector mechanismof a robot within the ring pod 1000 or a robot in the cluster toolassembly. In some embodiments, the end effector mechanism of the robotthat is generally used to transport a wafer to and from a wafer loader115 may not be large enough to accommodate the consumable part, which isusually larger than the wafer. In order to accommodate the consumablepart, the end effector mechanism may use a ring carrier 1104 totransport the consumable part to and from the ring pod 1000. The ringcarrier 1104 may be stored at the bottom of the ring pod 1000, at thetop of the ring pod 1000 or anywhere in-between. Further, a single ringcarrier 1104 or a plurality of ring carriers 1104 may be used fortransporting the consumable part. For example, dedicated ring carriers1104 may be used to separately transport a new consumable part and aused consumable part. The ring carriers are received on a carriersupport mechanism defined in the ring pod 1000.

FIG. 19A illustrates an example carrier support mechanism defined withinthe ring pod 1000 for receiving a ring carrier 1104, in one embodimentof the invention. The ring pod 1000, in this embodiment, houses a singlering carrier 1104 that is used for transporting both the new and theused consumable parts. The carrier support mechanism includes aplurality of carrier supports distributed on a plane defined on the baseplate 1134, for example. Each carrier support includes a base supportstructure 1137 to provide support and to offset the ring carrier 1104from the base plate 1134 and a top hat 1138 that is disposed on top ofthe base support structure 1137. In some embodiments, the top hat 1138may be a washer unit. The base support structure 1137 and the top hat1138 are designed to provide support for the ring carrier 1104 whenreceived within the ring pod 1000. Further, the design of the top hat1138 prevents the ring carrier 1104 from popping out of its place on thebase support structure.

The carrier supports are positioned in the plane in accordance to ashape of the ring carrier 1104. For example, when the ring carrier 1104is triangular in shape, the carrier supports are positioned to fit alonga triangular outline of the ring carrier 1104. In some embodiments, thecarrier supports are made of Carbon filled PEEK material. In otherembodiments, the carrier supports may be made of other material selectedto prevent corrosion and other wear while providing support to the ringcarrier 1104. Alternately, the carrier supports may be made of metalsand are coated with corrosion resistive material, such as epoxy, Teflon,etc.

FIG. 19B illustrates an alternate example of carrier support mechanismdefined within the ring pod 1000 in which a plurality of ring carriers1104 may be received. In this embodiment, the ring pod 1000 includes aseparator plate 1202 that is defined between a base plate 1134 and a topplate 1132 and is oriented substantially parallel to the base plate1134. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 19B, plurality of carriersupports is disposed on both the base plate 1134 and the separator plate1202 to receive the ring carriers 1104. The separator plate 1202 may bedefined to separate a clean (or new) consumable part section 1206(described with reference to FIG. 11) and a dirty consumable partsection 1208 (described with reference to FIG. 11) in the ring pod 1000.The clean consumable part section 1206 includes dedicated slots forreceiving clean or new consumable parts 208 and the dirty consumablepart section 1208 includes dedicated slots for receiving dirty ordamaged or used consumable parts 208. In addition to providing carriersupports at the base plate 1134 and the separator plate 1202, additionalcarrier supports may be provided on an underside surface of the topplate 1132, in some embodiments. The additional carrier supports may besimilar in structure to the carrier support mechanism described withreference to FIGS. 19A and 19B or may have a different structure. Insome embodiments where additional carrier supports are provided on theunderside surface of the top plate 1132, the ring carrier 1104 may bereceived and supported by the carrier supports of the top plate 1132.

In some embodiments, a height of the carrier supports defined on thebase plate 1134 and/or a separator plate 1202 would determine the heightfrom which the support fingers 1130 for receiving the consumable parts208 may be defined along a length of the support columns 1129 a-1129 dso as to avoid any interference by the carrier supports when theconsumable part is received within the ring pod 1000. For example, thesupport fingers 1130 may be defined on the support column 1129 startingat a height that is greater than the height of the carrier supportsdefined on the base plate 1134 so that the carrier supports do notinterfere when a consumable part is received at the bottom fingersupport. Similarly, height of the carrier supports defined on a bottomsurface of the top plate 1132 would determine a height up to which thesupport fingers 1130 are to be defined along the length of the supportcolumns 1129 a-1129 d.

FIG. 20 illustrates a bottom surface view of a base plate 1134 of thering pod 1000 that is used for storing and transporting consumableparts, in one embodiment of the invention. The bottom surface of thebase plate 1134 includes various interfaces that are used for manualloading or are compatible with automated material handling system(AMHS), overhead transport (OHT) system, etc., standards, or forautomatic alignment of the ring pod 1000 onto a load port in a load portmodule 1155. The interfaces that are provided in the bottom surface ofthe base plate 1134 are similar to the interfaces that can be found on awafer carrier 115, such as a front opening unified pod (FOUP). Forexample, a pair of conveyor rails 1133 may be used along with thehandles 1122 of the ring pod 1000 to manually load the ring pod 1000 toa material handling vehicle, such as a person guided vehicle (PGV).Similarly, a flange 1121 for OHT handling, for example, is disposed on atop surface of the shell structure 1127, a shuttle clamp feature 1142disposed on the bottom surface of the base plate 1134, and carriersensing pads 1143 disposed on kinematic slots 1124 may be used togetherduring automatic handling of the ring pod 1000 by an AMHS, OHT, etc. Oneor more carrier sensing pads 1143 may also be used during automatichandling of the ring pod 1000 by the AMHS, OHT, etc.

The kinematic slots 1124 may be part of an alignment mechanism that isused to align the ring pod 1000 with corresponding kinematic pinsdefined on a load port of the load port module 1155. The kinematic slots1124 may also be used to provide a dissipative path to ground in orderto keep electrostatic discharge level low. Vent assembly 1126 is used tovent the inside of the ring pod 1000. One or more information pads 1140may be used to track various conditions, including alignment of the ringpod 1000 to the load port defined in the replacement station. One ormore lockout options 1141 are provided for blocking or unblocking one ormore of the interface elements of the ring pod 1000 during operation.The interfaces provided in the bottom portion of the ring pod 1000 arestandard interfaces that conform to material handling standards definedfor handling FOUPs but are extended to the ring pods 1000, as well.

The various components of the ring pod 1000 may be made of metal. Forexample, the support fingers 1130, the support columns 1129 (i.e., 1129a, 1129 b), the base plate 1134, etc., may be made of metal, such ascasted aluminum. In order to ensure that the consumable part does notget damaged, a dissipative ground path is defined from the support pads1131 through the metal portion of the support fingers 1130 tocorresponding one of the support column 1129 a-1129 d, down to the baseplate 1134 to the kinematic slots 1124 defined on the underside of thebase plate 1134, to the kinematic pins on the load port. The kinematicpins on the load port are grounded so that the surface that is contactthe consumable part is grounded, as well.

Generally, the support columns 1129, the base plate 1134, supportfingers 1130, etc., are all made of aluminum or other light weightmetal/material in order to limit the weight of the ring pod 1000. Thematerials that are used for the various components in the ring pod 1000design is driven by a weight limit defined by the standards set for theOHT, AMHS, etc. As a result, some components of the ring pod 1000 may bemade of casted aluminum, other components may be coated with corrosionresistive material, such as epoxy, Teflon, etc., some other componentsmay be molded, or made of plastic.

The ring pod 1000 may be used to store and transport different types ofconsumable parts. In order to determine the exact content of the ringpod 1000, the ring pod 1000 may include identifiers that are used todetermine the content contained within. In some embodiments, a dedicatedidentification station may be used scan the identifier to identifycontent of the ring pod 1000. The identification station may include arobot, for example, with sensors to scan the ring pod identifier andcorrelate it to the content.

FIGS. 21A and 21B provide a view of a back side of the ring pod 1000 onwhich a ring pod identifier may be disposed to identify contents of thering pod 1000, in some embodiments of the invention. The back sidelocation of the identifier is provided only as an example and that othersides or locations may also be used to place the ring pod identifier. Insome embodiments, the ring pod identifier may be in the form of a barcode presented on a bar code mounting plate 1144, as illustrated in FIG.21A. In alternate embodiments, the ring pod identifier may be in theform of a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag that is provided on anRFID tag plate 1145, as illustrated in FIG. 21B. In other embodiments,the ring pod identifier may be in the form of a serial number that isetched on a ring pod identifier plate disposed on the back side or anyother side of the ring pod 1000. A host, such as an identificationstation, can correlate what is inside the ring pod 1000 with the ringpod identifier and manage the inventory of the ring pods 1000 and theconsumable parts stored within the ring pod 1000. For example, when aring pod is coupled to the load port module 1155, a sensor on the loadport may be used to read the ring pod identifier and identify the typeof consumable parts that are stored inside the ring pod 1000. In orderto determine the type and number of consumable parts stored in the ringpod 1000, the content of the ring pod 1000 have to be scanned and theinformation from the scanning is maintained and managed by the host. Thescanning is done, for example, when the door 1123 of the ring pod 1000is opened.

In some embodiments, when the door 1123 of the ring pod 1000 is opened,a robot with an end effector equipped with an aligner and a sensor(e.g., camera) may be used to scan up and down the ring pod 1000 and mapthe location of the consumable parts received in the various supportfingers 1130 of the ring pod 1000. This mapping information, in someembodiments, may be used by a tool software to track the variousconsumable parts in different ring pods 1000. In some embodiments, thismapping information may also be stored in a database with the ring podidentifier and updated any time the ring pod 1000 is used so that thetool software can keep track of the inventory of the consumable parts inthe various ring pods 1000. The updated mapping information is used bythe host to correlate with what is inside the ring pod 1000. When thesensor on the load port scans the identifier of the ring pod 1000, theidentifier of the ring pod 1000 is used to obtain the mapped informationthat identifies the type and number of consumable parts containedtherein.

The various embodiments describe the structure of a ring pod 1000 thatis used to provide a new consumable part 208 to a process module 112 forreplacing a damaged or old consumable part. The ring pod 1000 is coupledto a load port of a load port module 1155, which in turn is coupleddirectly to a process module (any one of 112-120) or a vacuum transfermodule (VTM) 104 or an atmospheric transfer module (ATM) 102. Theconsumable part is moved to the process module using a robot within thering pod 1000, or using robots in the VTM 104 and/or ATM 102.

The various embodiments described herein allow the consumable parts tobe replaced in a fast and efficient manner without having to open thecluster tool assembly to atmospheric conditions. As a result, the timeto replace consumable parts, as well as any risk of contaminating thechamber during replacement of consumable parts is greatly reduced,thereby allowing the cluster tool assembly to come online faster.Further, risk of inadvertent damage to the process module, theconsumable part and to other hardware components in the process moduleare greatly reduced.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features ofa particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particularembodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be usedin a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described.The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to beregarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modificationsare intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

Although the foregoing embodiments have been described in some detailfor purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent thatcertain changes and modifications can be practiced within the scope ofthe appended claims. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to beconsidered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the embodiments arenot to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modifiedwithin their scope and equivalents of the claims.

1. A front opening ring pod (FORP), comprising: a base plate having afirst lateral side, a second lateral side, a front side and a back side,wherein the first lateral side, the second lateral side are parallel toone another and extend between the front side and the back side; asupport structure disposed over the base plate, the support structureincludes a plurality of support columns disposed over the first andsecond lateral sides of the base plate, each of the plurality of supportcolumns includes a plurality of support fingers distributed lengthwise,such that the plurality of support fingers extend toward an inner regionof the FORP; a top plate oriented opposite to the base plate, whereineach of the plurality of support columns is attached to the top plate; ashell enclosure having sidewalls and a top surface is disposed over thebase plate, such that the top surface of the shell enclosure is disposedover the top plate and the sidewalls surround the support structure, afront of the shell enclosure and the front side of the base platedefining a part of a door frame to receive a door; and the door having aplurality of slots distributed lengthwise along an inside sidewall ofthe door, such that each of the plurality of slots is substantiallyaligned with corresponding ones of the plurality of support fingers ofthe support structure, wherein the plurality of support fingers of thesupport structure are configured to support one or more consumable partswhen present inside the FORP and the plurality of slots on the insidesidewall of the door are configured to secure present consumable partsin position when the door is engaged.
 2. The FORP of claim 1, where theshell enclosure does not have a bottom.
 3. The FORP of claim 1, whereinthe base plate includes a lip defined along an outer perimeter, theshell enclosure being coupled to the lip of the base plate.
 4. The FORPof claim 1, wherein the plurality of support columns in the supportstructure includes, a first support column oriented along the firstlateral side wall of the shell enclosure and disposed proximal to thefront side of the base plate; a second support column oriented along thefirst lateral side wall of the shell enclosure and disposed proximal tothe back side of the base plate; a third support column oriented alongthe second lateral side wall of the shell enclosure and disposedproximal to the front side of the base plate; and a fourth supportcolumn oriented along the second lateral side wall of the shellenclosure and disposed proximal to the back side of the base plate. 5.The FORP of claim 4, wherein the support structure further includes apair of stop columns disposed over the back side of the baseplate andoriented along a back sidewall of the shell enclosure, each of the pairof stop columns oriented parallel to the plurality of support columns.6. The FORP of claim 5, wherein each of the pair of stop columns iscoupled to the top plate, the top plate attached to an underside of thetop surface of the shell enclosure.
 7. The FORP of claim 5, wherein thepair of stop columns includes, a first stop column disposed proximate tothe first lateral side wall and oriented toward the inner region of theshell enclosure; and a second stop column disposed proximate to thesecond lateral side wall and oriented toward the inner region of theshell enclosure, wherein the first and the second stop columns aredefined parallel to the support structure.
 8. The FORP of claim 7,wherein each of the first and second stop columns is spaced apart fromthe plurality of support columns.
 9. The FORP of claim 7, wherein thefirst stop column is attached to the second support column of thesupport structure and the second stop column is attached to fourthsupport column of the support structure.
 10. The FORP of claim 1,wherein each of the plurality of support fingers includes a support paddefined on a top surface, the support pad providing a distinct contactsurface for a consumable part, when received on respective one of theplurality of support fingers.
 11. The FORP of claim 1, wherein each ofthe plurality of support fingers includes a groove defined on a topsurface, a support pad is formed in the groove and extends above the topsurface.
 12. The FORP of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fingers ismade of carbon filled PolyEtherEtherKetone material.
 13. The FORP ofclaim 1, wherein the base plate includes a vent assembly to provide apath for gases out of the FORP.
 14. The FORP of claim 1, furtherincludes a pair of handles, wherein a first handle in the pair isdisposed on an outside of the first lateral side wall of the shellenclosure and is attached to corresponding first ones of the pluralityof support columns through the first lateral side wall, and a secondhandle in the pair is disposed on an outside of the second lateral sidewall of the shell enclosure and is attached to corresponding second onesof the plurality of support columns through the second lateral sidewall.
 15. The FORP of claim 1, wherein the back side of the base plateis contoured and a back side wall of the shell enclosure is contoured tomatch the contour of the base plate.
 16. A front opening ring pod(FORP), comprising: a base plate having a front side, a back side and apair of lateral sides extending between the front side and the backside, and a lip defined along an outer perimeter of the base plate; asupport structure received over the base plate, the support structureincludes a plurality of support columns disposed over the pair oflateral sides of the base plate, each of the plurality of supportcolumns includes a plurality of support fingers distributed lengthwise,such that the plurality of support fingers extend toward an inner regionof the FORP; a top plate oriented opposite to the base plate, each ofthe plurality of support columns of the support structure is attached tothe top plate; a shell enclosure having sidewalls and a top surface, thetop surface of the shell enclosure is disposed to cover the top plateand the sidewalls of the shell enclosure surround the support structure,a front of the shell enclosure and the front side of the base platedefining a part of a door frame to receive a door, the shell enclosurebeing coupled to the lip of the base plate; the door having a pluralityof slots distributed in a vertical orientation along an inside sidewallof the door, such that each of the plurality of slots is substantiallyaligned with corresponding ones of the plurality of support fingers ofthe support structure; and a pair of stop columns disposed over a backside of the base plate and are oriented along a back sidewall of theshell enclosure; wherein the plurality of support fingers of the supportstructure are configured to support one or more consumable parts whenpresent inside the FORP and the plurality of slots on the insidesidewall of the door are configured to secure the one or more consumableparts present inside the FORP in position when the door is engaged. 17.The FORP of claim 16, wherein each of the pair of stop columns iscoupled to the top plate, wherein the top plate is attached to anunderside of the top surface of the shell enclosure.
 18. The FORP ofclaim 16, wherein the shell enclosure does not have a base.
 19. The FORPof claim 16, wherein each of the pair of stop columns is separate andspaced apart from the plurality of support columns.
 20. The FORP ofclaim 16, wherein the pair of stop columns are attached to correspondingones of the plurality of support columns that are disposed along thepair of lateral sides proximate to the back sidewall of the shellenclosure.